If you take a sprig of mint, you can experience its cool, refreshing aroma. Imagine how it would feel if your skin was smoothed and loved – would you feel the same way?
The feeling can be addictive. Many people enjoy its flavor in chewing gum, a cup of tea or other foods. But most people probably don’t think of mint as something that can improve their health and beauty.
Today, you can find peppermint in a variety of beauty products, from shampoos to cleansers and moisturizers, and for good reason. The benefits of mint have been known throughout history. The ancient Egyptians and ancient Romans valued it for its pleasant aroma and used it to perfume the air in homes and temples. During the Middle Ages, people used mint as a cleaning agent and a way to purify drinking water. Early colonists who brought the herb to the Americas appreciated mint for its medicinal benefits, using it to treat fevers and influenza.
If you take a look at the labels of beauty products, you will see the words Mentha piperita or Mentha spicata in the ingredients. Mentha piperita is the Latin name for peppermint, and Mentha spicata is spearmint — two common types of mint. Although beauty products will contain one of these two common types, there are more than 30 species in the mint family.
In skin care products, mint is used in skin creams, toners, body lotions, and face masks. Its leaves can be ground and used as mint juice, ground to make a paste and made into mint oil. As a beauty treatment product, it is often combined with other natural ingredients such as lavender, chamomile, jojoba and aloe vera.
Read on to find out why you’ll want to keep some fresh mint on hand during a stressful week at school, home, or work, and why mint can give you that healthy skin and body when paired with sunblock. It can be what you want.
As a fragrance ingredient, mint soothes the senses and imparts a pleasant fragrance to a variety of products for everyday use. In products like shampoo, lip balm and mouthwash, peppermint can give you a refreshing feeling. But in skin care products, mint can have benefits that go beyond just its scent. It can actually help improve the condition of your skin.
If you look through the beauty products in your bathroom cabinet, you may be surprised to find that some of them contain mint. Chances are it’s labeled as “Menthi”. What makes peppermint a beneficial skin care ingredient is its ability to act as an antipruritic agent. This means that its juice can soothe and calm itchy or infected skin. You can even use it to heal mosquito, wasp and bee bites. Since mint contains vitamin A, it strengthens skin tissue and helps reduce oily skin.
You’ve probably never considered rubbing peppermint oil on your face to prevent acne from popping up or treat blemishes and scars. Peppermint oil, however, acts as a natural astringent, and people have long used it to treat these problems. What makes peppermint helpful in treating inflammation like acne is its high content of salicylic acid. [source: Web MD]. This acid, which occurs naturally in mint, is an active ingredient used in many skin care products. The acid loosens dead skin cells, allowing them to come off more easily. It has the ability to prevent your pores from clogging, resulting in less acne and clearer skin.
With so many potential benefits for your skin, peppermint is a natural ingredient you may want to try. Read on to learn about the different ways you can use peppermint as a skin care treatment.
Mint and skin cancer
Apart from soothing and calming your skin, peppermint can help your skin in another way. Peppermint contains a nutrient called perillyl alcohol, and studies show that it can prevent the formation of skin cancer cells. Other studies show that it can also help prevent lung and colon cancer.
Mint Skin Care Remedies
Although the pleasant aroma of mint may positively affect your oral senses, this herb has a variety of uses. Its dual role as an aromatic treatment and skin care treatment allows it to be used in many different ways.
There are many masks available in the market that use mint as an important ingredient. While you can choose any of these products for a mint facial, it’s possible to make your own at home and save money. Mint face masks are especially beneficial for people with oily skin. Many recipes recommend mixing two tablespoons (15 ml) of mint with oatmeal and yogurt. After making the mixture, all you have to do is apply it on your face. After 10 minutes, wash off the mask with warm water.
They also have several cleanser products with mint. Peppermint can act as an astringent in a cleanser by shrinking skin tissue and reducing the amount of oil in the skin. Just like with face masks, you can choose from a variety of skin cleansing products that contain mint, or you can make your own using fresh mint leaves.
Popular mint drinks such as peppermint tea can also help with digestive problems, including bloating, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and gallstones. Recommend peppermint.
If you visit a spa, you’ll likely find that many of the treatments there include mint. Despite its health benefits, however, spas mostly use mint for its aroma, which many find relaxing and soothing. It is often combined with other natural scents such as lemon or lavender for body and facial treatments.