Did you know that you can share your mint oil with your four footers? The Crosby dogs Eddie, Shadow and Mojita are a minty, err... healthy bunch, and if they could talk, they'd tell you all about their mint adventures. Here are four ways on how to keep your loyal friends happy, healthy and nice smelling.
Splish and splash Add a little oil (3-6 drops depending on the animal's size) to your pooch's bathwater or the shampoo in your hand. Fleas don't like mint and your nice smelling dog will be welcome in everybody's home!
SIT!!! No more excuses during obedience class. Clean their ears with some olive (or any cooking) oil and mint oil. Use one tablespoon and mix in about 6 drops of mint oil on a small dish. Dip a hand towel in the mixture and carefully clean out your dog's or cat's ears. As long as you don't apply any oil directly into the ear and hearing duct, you can't hurt them.
Ouch... After a day of chasing leaves, barking at the mailman and playing in the park, apply mint oil to scrapes, hot spots and small wounds. Apply the oil to cover the area that is hurt and repeat as necessary or at least twice a day. The key is to be consistent.
STOP WIPING YOUR NOSE ON THE NEW COUCH!!!! Dogs and cats may not get the flu like we do during this time of year but colds, coughs, sneeziness and watery eyes can happen to the best of us. When pets get the sniffles, you can add a minimum amount of mint oil to their drinking water. Dip a toothpick in the oil and stir into a gallon of fresh water. Make sure to provide enough clean water every day.
Note: For any of the above, Peppermint Jim advises to use spearmint oil for winter, and peppermint oil for summer time. As with humans: avoid contact with the eyes.
Are you tired of spending hours cleaning, and losing that fresh, clean smell in hours?
Add some mint to the mix and your house will smell minty and clean in minutes!
1. Add 10-20 drops of mint oil (we like peppermint!) to your vacuum cleaner bag or dust compartment. Next time you clean up the casualties on the floor from your latest cooking frenzy, your house will start smelling real minty!!! Some vacuum cleaners stores even sell our oil for this very same reason.
2. Scrubbing floors? Add mint oil to the water. Did you know that mint oil is antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral (among others)? Imagine clean, shiny floors you can eat off!
3. Drop a few drops of oil in the vents of your house. Working at home? Kids are studying? Studies (funded by NASA) have shown that peppermint oil increases focus and energy by 30%. You can thank us later when they graduate Cum Laude.
4. Another quick and effective way to a minty house it by putting a small pan with water on the stove and letting it simmer. Add 20 drops of mint oil and wait for it to evaporate throughout your home. Make sure you add more water or turn the stove off before the water is gone.
Are you still using convential cleaning products? The ones that irriate your skin, airway and eyes? Those that aren't safe at all for you, your children and pets?
Time to take control.
Floors
Clean your floors with this easy recipe for success and satifaction. Vinegar has been known for generations to be a very efficient cleaning product. It is very cheap and because of its high acidity, it kills most bacteria, molds and germs. To clean floors add a cup of white vinegar to a gallon of hot water. Add about 30 drops of peppermint oil, that also has anitbacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties (among others) and your floors will not only be clean, they will be safe to play on, sit on, live on and with a nice smell! Both the mint oil and the vinegar are also very effective against ants.
Floor cleaning solution:
1 gallon of hot water
1 cup of white vinegar
30 drops of peppermint oil
Click Here to Shop!Countertops, sink and cupboards
When you want a little more scrubbing power to clean countertops, cupboards and sinks, use the same recipe as above and add baking soda and a tablespoon of liquid detergent.
Carpets
To clean carpets, use warm water with white vinegar (1 cup for each gallon) and add 20-30 drops of peppermint oil. (Try this first on a out-of-sight piece of carpet) This will also bring back the color and take out stains from pet accidents.
Finishing Touch
After your cleaning spree is over, there is one more thing you can do to finish it off: put a small pan with about 4 inches of water on the stove add 20-30 drops of peppermint or spearmint and let simmer. Your kitchen and house will smell mint-a-licious!
A headache, or migraine can be a real pain in the... behind so to speak. So, since you always carry a little bottle of mint oil with you anyway, (right?!?!) now is the time to use it!
A dram of peppermint oil. Click on photo to shop.
First, let's talk a little about the different types of headaches and, more severly, migraines. The most common cause is stress, but often people forget that dehydration can be a major contributor to headaches. Make sure you drink plenty of water spread out during the day. Stay away from coffee, sodas and juices since they actually dehydrate the body.
Fatigue and emotional stress often go hand in hand, so make sure you get sufficient sleep and relaxation time.
A headache can also be caused by tight back and shoulder muscles, repetitive motions, or bad posture. Strained eyes and staring at a computer screen all day long is not beneficial either. Taking a walk away from your desk, doing a few stretches during your breaks can prevent a lot of discomfort.
Lack of oxygen, induced by dry, air conditioned environments and another cause of headache, can be prevented by regular deep breathing throughout the day and a short walk outside.
As soon as you feel the aching coming up, put a few drops of peppermint (or spearmint, but peppermint tends to be somewhat more powerful) in the palm of your hand and rub this into both temples (stay away from your eyes!), across your forehead and/or into your scalp where the pain is located. Expect relief in a few minutes. Repeat as necessary.
Essentialoil n. An oil derived from a natural substance, usually either for its healing properties, flavoring or as a perfume.
Essential oils are extracted most commonly through hydrodiffusion, also known as steam distillation. Other methods include Carbon Dioxide Extraction, Cold Press Extraction, or the use of absolutes. Steam distillation is the classic and most traditional method. In the 11th century, a Persian chemist by the name of Avicenna invented the process to extract essential oils. His invention contributed not only significantly to the development of the perfume industry, but also to the scientific world because now, compounds could be derived from organic material in a most pure form.
How it works
The mint is grown on our rich “muck” soil, in what we call Mint Valley in St. Johns. When it is time for harvest, the mint is cut and chopped into a mint wagon. Once positioned in one of the stalls in the still, the wagon gets hooked up to steam. During distillation, the steam runs through the plant material and breaks downPeppermint Jim pouring mint oil at the still during harvest. the cells of the plant. The water carries the essential oils to a cooling chamber, or condenser, where the hydrosol (water portion of the plant) and the essential oil (volatile oils of the plant) are separated. The end result of the oil production is subject to many factors; climate, soil, growing methods and the expertise of the distiller. One mint wagon holds four ton of plant material from about one acre of mint and this can yield 35 up to 40 lbs of oil.
Once the oil comes out of the condenser, it is stored in a barrel. From there, it is bottled up in small bottles and sold directly to the customer, or the company that produces the added value products like our mint soy candles, candy and honey.
Because of our non-traditional farming practices and ecological accountability our oil is tested to be chemical, herbicide, insecticide and pesticide free, as well as free of banned and industrial chemicals.
Now what?
Mint oil, like most pure, essential oils, has many benefits to our health and can do a lot to help you feel good on a daily basis thanks to these eight properties:
Peppermint in bloom
Antiviral;
Antibacterial;
Anti-inflammatory;
Antimicrobial;
Antispasmodic;
Antioxidant;
Analgesic;
Antifungal.
We may soon be adding to this list. Currently our oil is being used in cancer research.
Peppermint or Spearmint? Peppermint or Spearmint? Pep….?
Because of the high menthol content, peppermint is known as the cool, uplifting and vitalizing variant, where spearmint does not have menthol and therefore has a more relaxing, warming effect. Both can be used for the following purposes, and the choice of which to use is based on personal preference and taste. The oils can be diluted with your liquid of choice, but works well with water, tea and olive oil.
Internal uses:
* Please note that our mint oil is pure and undiluted. We advise you to start with one to two drops and dilute with your liquid of choice. As long as you can smell the mint, the benefits are there.
Breath refresher: add one drop to your water, or put a drop on your finger and apply to the tongue.
Congestion/snoring: add oil to (mouth) water, swoosh and swallow.
Drowsiness: ingest oil as needed, inhale, massage on back of neck and across forehead.Shop here for essential mint oil products
Dental care: promotes healthy teeth and gums, helps with bad breath.
Flavoring: add drop to tea, water, baked goods, drinks, salad dressing, sauces.
Intestinal flora imbalances, parasites: ingest as needed.
Nausea, motionsickness: ingest a drop with water.
Upset stomach/IBS: ingest oil as needed.
Sore throat, infection: add to liquids (water, tea), gargle and swallow.
Stress: ingest oil as needed (spec. spearmint).
Toothache: apply oil on cotton ball and place on tooth or apply directly.
External uses:
Acne: dab on spots as needed.
Airway infection/diseases: add to vaporizers.
Athlete’s foot and fungi: apply directly between toes twice a day or more as needed.
Arthritis: massage on painful joints to soothe the pain and stimulate blood flow and circulation, and decrease inflammation.
Clean: use on hard surfaces around the house and on toothbrushes.
Focus: rub small amount underneath nostrils for increased focus and concentration during work, exams and driving. Found to be highly effective by NASA!
Hair, head and skin care: add to soap/shampoo to stimulate and clean hair follicles. We recommend adding peppermint to the bathwater on a hot summer day and spearmint during the winter for a warm and relaxing effect. The best way to distribute the oil is by saturating a spoonful of (sea) salt and stirring this into the water.
Headaches: apply on temples, across the forehead or massage into the scalp.
Household: add to dish water, laundry, or use as humane pesticide against mice, ants and critters. Add a few drops to air vents in room and car.
(Insect )bites, wounds: apply on injury or bite to disinfect, for pain relief, anti-swelling, anti- itching and promote healing.
Itching: add to bathwater, massage or olive oil, or apply directly on skin
Migraine: massage across forehead, into scalp or local where pain is located.
Sinus congestion: apply underneath nostrils, across the forehead and chest. For children; we recommend adding a few drops to a washcloth and placing this inside the pillowcase at night.
Sore muscles/joints: apply on painful areas
Stress: add to massage oil/bathwater/shower floor for aromatherapy.
Mon, April 12, 2010 at 2:29PM 
plish and splash
