One of my favorite essential oils is peppermint oil. It has so many uses! We use it to get rid of the occasional headache by rubbing it on each temple, being careful not to get it too close to the eyes. We wait ten minutes, rub it on the temples again and the headache often goes away. It the headache starts in the back of your head, you can rub the peppermint oil on the back of the neck.

We also use it when someone gets a stuffy nose or head cold. For this, we put a few drops of peppermint oil in a bowl of very hot water and have the sick individual breathe the vapors. It clears the sinuses, kills germs and helps open the airway. We then rub olive oil on the person's chest and put peppermint oil on top, it provides a natural form of the menthol our mother's used and helps the congested person breath easier. I have not tried peppermint oil for asthma, but have heard it helps in a similar way.

When someone at our house has sore muscles, we often rub peppermint oil on the area. It tingles, takes away swelling and it makes you smell pretty good, too! Directions on the bottle say to dilute the oil first.

Do not drink peppermint oil. Peppermint tea is a great drink that eases digestion and may help IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) enteric coated peppermint gels may help gallbladder congestion (and therefore digestion) ask at your local health food store for mixes, brands and amounts. My favorite peppermint oil is the Now brand. It comes is a small brown bottle with a yellow label and can be found at local health food stores in the personal product section. Enjoy!