Your Beautiful Face – Seven Oils in Seven Days
Day 1 – A Mint Julep For Your Face!
by Jill Taylor
What better way to wake up in the morning than with the stimulating and refreshing effects of "a mint julep for your face"?! Treat your face with the minty zing of peppermint oil in your Satin Facial Scrub Mint and start your day feeling revitalized and full of zest! (This is my favorite part of my morning – while showering I always anticipate how much I enjoy the minty aroma and cool stimulating feeling of my Satin Facial Scrub Mint!) For more about my daily routine for promoting healthy, youthful skin see, "Your Beautiful Face! A Simple Secret To Having Beautiful Skin At Any Age.
In our "Seven Oils for Seven Days" series, our first featured oil is peppermint. Although we often associate peppermint with candy canes, mints, and ice cream, did you know peppermint is actually an age-old remedy for a variety of ailments?
To name a few, peppermint oil has successfully treated everything from nausea, morning sickness, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn's disease, gallstones, fever, colds, coughs, congestion, and food poisoning. It can stop the itching of insect bites, eczema, and poison ivy as well. It is wonderful for stomach upset and digestive issues and its uses for pain relief are many.
And why use peppermint oil vs. dried peppermint or peppermint tea?
Number one, peppermint oil can be applied topically as well as taken internally. Also, there is more nutrition content in the oil from the fresh leaves vs. the dried leaves such as minerals, fatty acids, antioxidants, and Vitamins A, C, and several B vitamins. Many of these vitamins, minerals, and nutrients increase the effective use of peppermint for your skin. According to a study at the University of Michigan, the use of Vitamin A helps get rid of wrinkles and lines on the face, and relieve acne.
Did you know that 1 drop of peppermint oil is the equivalent of 28 cups of peppermint tea?
Peppermint oil is commonly used to relieve headaches. Research done at Christian Albrecht's University found that applying peppermint oil on the forehead and temples has the same pain-relieving effects as 1,000 milligrams of Tylenol.
In a delightful children's book titled "Essential Oils and Me" written by Amy J. Oler*, I share my story of a slightly fractured and badly sprained ankle where peppermint oil and a number of other Young Living oils relieved the pain and healed my ankle in 2 days:
"I sustained a slightly fractured, very badly sprained ankle. The pain was so intense I laid on the couch and cried. I was unable to put any weight on my foot. My sons helped me alternate ice and the Young Living essential oils of Valor, lavender, PanAway, thyme, basil, marjoram, cypress, wintergreen, Aroma Siez, grapefruit, lemongrass, and peppermint. With the help of my sons, I got into bed after three rounds each of ice and oils on my ankle. During the night I broke into a "healing sweat". The next morning (expecting to order crutches), I gently tested my feet on the floor. To my total amazement, I walked! I continued applying the oils several times a day for the next few days and less often afterwards. I walked with a slight limp, and two days later my walk was perfectly normal!" Jill
Whether you want to experience the healing effects of peppermint for injuries, the cooling sensation of menthol on overworked muscles, enjoy an invigorating foot bath or foot scrub, or soothe an upset stomach, peppermint oil can help!
Here are some other tips that can help:
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Add a drop to warm water for peppermint tea that will aid in digestion.
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Massage several drops on your abdomen, place a drop on the tip of your tongue or wrists, or inhale to soothe acid reflux, minor stomach discomfort, and aid in digestion.
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Combine with lavender oil for a soothing and invigorating body, neck, or foot massage.
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Put a drop on the tip of your tongue for a quick breath freshener.
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Apply to your temples, forehead, or back of your head to alleviate a headache or energize you!
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Smell peppermint while studying to increase memory retention.
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For poison ivy or poison oak, apply peppermint oil on location, neat, or dilute with Young Living's V-6 massage oil.
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"Wake up" the taste of your drinking water with 1 drop or peppermint oil per glass.
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Ladies – Apply to your neck and forehead to take the heat out of those hot flashes.
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During yard work or exercise in the hot sun, use a spray bottle of water with peppermint oil to cool yourself off!
When I need an energy "pick me up", I put Peppermint on my fingers and massage into the back of my scalp and my temples. It's AWESOME!" ~ Jill
Note: Do NOT use essential oils internally – except Young Living therapeutic-grade essential oils. The majority of essential oils in the U.S. have been diluted with synthetic fillers that may be harmful. Most essential oils in stores say "For external use only" for this reason.
Young Living Therapeutic Grade™ peppermint oil not only comes from the best plants, it is harvested in a very special way. The secret is in expert harvesting practices. Peppermint is harvested when the field's overall appearance goes from light to dark green. The growers make sure the plant has just started to bloom before the peppermint is cut, and then the water is carefully measured prior to distillation to ensure the most potent constituents are steam-extracted. Our peppermint essential oil is stringently tested for purity (as with all of our oils) and to ensure proper levels of menthol and menthone in every bottle.
The menthol in peppermint oil is good for your skin, and has a cooling effect. It is commonly used in soaps, shampoos and toothpaste. Peppermint oil can help relieve problems with unhealthy skin, acne, and itching when applied topically. It also helps tone the skin by getting rid of red blotches, and enlivening dull skin.
Men: this is a great oil for you to soothe your face after your shave and keep your skin looking youthful and handsome.
"One of my favorite things to do with peppermint oil, especially in the summer is to fill a 2 oz. spray bottle with purified water and add 10 drops of peppermint oil. I love the coolness on my face before applying my moisturizer, and it is wonderfully refreshing and cooling on my face, neck and arms during the heat of a hot summer day!" Jill
Lastly, did you know a new arena in food preparation has been emerging in recent years? That arena is the innovative art of combining essential oils with food! If you have never tasted a culinary creation flavored with essential oils, you're in for a treat!
You are going to absolutely LOVE my healthy Peppermint Agave Brownies!! Please write me once you've made them and let me know what you think!
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Jill's Peppermint Agave Brownies
1/2 c. organic butter 3 oz. unsweetened chocolate 1 c. organic agave syrup 1/4 c. maple syrup 2 organic eggs 1 1/4 c. organic rice or oat flour** 1/4 t. baking soda 5 drops Young Living peppermint oil
Note: I bought the first four ingredients at Trader Joe's – the chocolate was Trader Joe's brand, Belgian unsweetened chocolate.
** You can use any type of flour, however, I recommend something other than wheat. Many people are sensitive to wheat and gluten and do not even know it. Rice flour would be first choice. Oat flour does have some gluten but less than wheat. Whole Foods will have many different flours to choose from.
Butter a standard square "brownie pan". Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter and chocolate in pan on stove. Stir agave and maple syrup into cooled chocolate mixture. Stir in peppermint oil. Add eggs, one at a time, beating with a wooden spoon until just combined. In a bowl, stir flour and soda together. Add to chocolate. Bake about 20 minutes.
Yummm!! Double YUMMM With A Cup of Tea !!
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Look for my "Healthy Mint Julep" recipe in an upcoming article
*To purchase a copy of Amy's book, email her at amyjoler23 at gmail dot com
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