If you’re anything like us, you’re always on the lookout for the latest hair craze. While we love hearing about what hairstyles and haircuts are popular, we’re much more interested in trends that promise benefits that go beyond looks. When we saw peppermint oil for hair popping up on our timelines, we knew we had to check it out.
Peppermint oil for hair has taken over social media lately, with our favorite bloggers and influencers claiming it’s the secret to their healthy-looking mane. While we love to take suggestions from social media beauty gurus, these results sounded too good to be true. We decided to do a little investigation of our own and found out everything you’ve ever wanted to know about the benefits of peppermint oil for hair and how to use it (or not use it) in your hair care routine.
What is peppermint oil?
The peppermint herb is a naturally occurring hybrid of two types of mint: watermint and spearmint. The oil is harvested from the plant, which grows throughout Europe and North America. Peppermint oil is most commonly used to create minty fragrances in soaps and cosmetics.
Benefits Of Peppermint Oil
There are several proven and unproven benefits of incorporating peppermint oil into your hair care routine, but the one you’ll notice almost immediately is the smell. If you love the smell of peppermint, integrating peppermint oil into your routine will make your regular wash days feel like relaxing spa days.
Another benefit you’ll notice almost immediately is the tingly feeling associated with peppermint oil. Peppermint oil contains naturally derived menthol (the same menthol that gives a tingly sensation to your lip balm) that creates a tingly sensation when applied to the skin. If you love to feel like your products are doing something, peppermint oil is going to give you that instantly refreshing sensation you crave.
That being said, peppermint oil has been found to be a relatively safe essential oil to ingest and apply to your skin. You rest assured if you plan to incorporate it into your hair care routine even if all you get out of it the delightful minty scent.
Uses Of Peppermint Oil
There are a few ways to incorporate peppermint oil into your hair care routine. The most popular way is to mix a few drops of the oil into a carrier oil like coconut or jojoba, massaging the mix into your scalp. Be sure you love the smell and tingly feeling associated with peppermint oil before you decide on this option. Massage the oil into your scalp and let the oil sit for 10 to 20 minutes before shampooing your strands.
If applying the oil directly to your scalp is a bit too intense for you, look for salon quality shampoo and conditioners formulated with peppermint oil. Be sure the products contain the actual oil and not just the scent to reap some of the benefits of peppermint oil, without dealing with the intense tingling.
