Spearmint Essential Oil

Oil Properties:
Scent: Strong, sharp, minty-fresh, menthol smell
Odor Intensity:
Evaporation Rate:
Color: pale yellow to greenish

SAFETY: Non-toxic, non-irritant, non-sensitizing.  Very mild and safe to use.

Uses:

Spearmint shares many of the same properties as Peppermint. It is milder than peppermint and better for children.

Spearmint is helpful for the respiratory system. It is anti-inflammatory and active in expelling catarrh. It is good for both chronic and acute bronchitis. It has a calming effect also on the digestive system. It will increase bile production and calm digestive upsets. It is a good essential oil to use on indigestion. It may mitigate some of the effects of travel and seasickness.

Spearmint impacts effectively on cystitis, general nervous upset and skin healing. It reduces breast milk production and combats hardening of the breasts. It may work to stem heavy flow and leucorrhea.

It stimulates a tired mind and helps with headaches, migraines, nervous strain, fatigue and stress.

It can relieve the itching of pruritus; and helps with acne, dermatitis, congested skin and sore gums.

Origin of Spearmint oil:

Spearmint, a native of the Mediterranean area, is a hardy perennial herb that reaches about 1 meter (3 feet) in height.

It has bright green lance-shaped, sharply serrated leaves and pink or lilac-colored flowers.

Unlike Peppermint, Spearmint does not contain Menthol.

The ancient Greeks used it to scent their bath water. It had a reputation for curing sexually transmitted diseases like gonorrhea and during the medieval times, Spearmint was used to heal sore gums and also to whiten teeth.

Extraction:

Spearmint oil is extracted by steam distilling the flowering tops.

Chemical composition:

Hydrocarbons: a-pinene (0.85%), b-pinene (0.80%), camphene, myrcene (4.40%), limonene (8.75-20%), a-phellandrene (monoterpenes) - b-caryophyllene (1.8%), a-elemene, b-bourbonene (sesquiterpenes) - Alcohols: menthol (0.5%), linalol (1.1%), borneol (0.1%),di-hydrocarveol (1.5%), neo-hydro-carveol, cis and trans-carveol (0.5%), trans thujanol 4 (20%), perilic alcohol (0.1%) (monoterpenols) - octanol (1.5%) (alyphatic alcohols) - farnesol, elemol, cadimol (sesquiterpenols) - Esters: terpenic esters, di-hydro-caryl acetate (1.5%), cis and trans carvyl acetate (2%) - Oxides: 1,8 cineole (2.2%), Ketones: carvone (55-60%), di-hydrocarvone (1.8%), menthone (0.4%), pulegone

Blends well with:

Basil, Eucalyptus, Lavender, Rosemary