The first thing spearmint likely brings to mind is the moment of unwrapping a stick of blue-green gum to freshen your breath. Yes, this is one of the spearmint plant’s claims to fame; and once you get your hands on dōTERRA® Spearmint essential oil, that package of gum sticks will have to move over in your handbag to make room for a totally new kind of minty refreshment! The comforting aroma of the spearmint plant has been enjoyed in many cultural contexts across the centuries, inviting us to learn just what makes it so relieving and how to best utilize Spearmint oil today.
A short, unassuming perennial that could easily be mistaken for peppermint, a taste test would immediately identify spearmint as the milder of the two! Beyond the logical breath-freshening properties, you should know that Spearmint is a fitting addition to your kitchen due to its refined culinary applications. Significantly more mellow than Peppermint oil, Spearmint works its slightly fruity, fresh, and minty charm with desserts, pastries, cakes, sorbets, ice cream, and fruit. There are even some adventurous ways to pair Spearmint with vegetables! Tasty and sweet, check. Supportive to mind and body, check. Spearmint delivers digestive benefits, promotes clearer breathing, and helps dissipate emotional stress. Spearmint's uplifting, comforting fragrance just has a soothing and familiar way about it.
Through a trusting partnership with local entrepreneurs to help farmers diversify their agricultural output and increase their earning potential, dōTERRA is pleased and honored to source Spearmint in rural India. Spearmint is a relatively new addition to the crop cycle there, which centers on wheat and rice and is tended and harvested mostly by women. The hard-working farmers know that their tender green spearmint plants are guaranteed to be bought by our favorite essential oil company at a fair market price, offering the farmers stability and multiplying their income. It’s a win for those on the production end of the process in India, and a win for those of us on the consuming end who get to enjoy the final product of steam-distilled Spearmint!
Work or study time is an ideal occasion to experiment with Spearmint’s uplifting and refreshing aromatic properties. It happens to blend especially well with Peppermint and Wintergreen, so stay tuned later in the month for specific blending ideas and some diffuser recipes that are positively mint-to-be. Because Spearmint is overall less intense and invigorating than its relative Peppermint, it’s a gentle option for children and those with more sensitive skin. Invigoration can be a good thing, but when the occasion calls for a more gentle burst of fresh mint, these are your moments to lean on Spearmint.
Of course, a sensible way to wrap up this talk on Spearmint is with an easy step-by-step of how to use this oil for a quick, economical, all-natural mouthwash. Are you ready for a super easy blast of freshness? In a small glass of water, combine a few drops of Spearmint with optional drops of Clove and Wild Orange, one each, if desired. Nothing but water and dōTERRA, and nothing but a breath of freshness for your whole body and mind. It’s just one of many ways to experience Spearmint!