Ingredient Library
Peppermint
Mentha piperita
Peppermint is a cooling herb whose oil refreshes and invigorates skin and senses. Tingly and brisk, it suits tired skin, scalps, and balm formulas.
A natural history
Peppermint is a fragrant hybrid mint, a natural cross of watermint and spearmint, loved across the ancient and modern world for its sweet aroma and unmistakable cool finish. Mint has been treasured since antiquity, and the Greeks gave it a tender origin story: the nymph Minthe, the poets wrote, was transformed into the fragrant little plant, her sweetness preserved forever in its leaves.
For all its long history, the magic of peppermint is something you feel. Brush the leaf and a cool, reviving freshness follows, the signature of menthol, the compound that gives peppermint its bright, invigorating character on skin, scalp, and senses alike.
What it does for your skin
Peppermint's cool, refreshing touch is a small marvel of biology. Menthol, its key compound, activates the very receptor in the skin that senses cold, the same one chilly air trips, which is why peppermint feels so refreshing without any change in temperature.[1] Applied to the skin, menthol imparts a cooling effect, valued for a reviving, invigorating sensation.[2] In a formula, used at gentle levels, peppermint brings a cool, refreshing lift to tired skin and scalp.
References
[1] McKemy DD, et al. Identification of a cold receptor reveals a general role for TRP channels in thermosensation. Nature. 2002;416(6876):52-58. doi:10.1038/nature719
[2] Pergolizzi JV, et al. The role and mechanism of action of menthol in topical analgesic products. J Clin Pharm Ther. 2018;43(3):313-319. doi:10.1111/jcpt.12679
Found in these formulas
Questions, answered
Its compound menthol activates the same skin receptor that senses cold, creating a refreshing, cooling feeling without actually lowering the temperature.
Yes. Menthol is potent, so peppermint is used at gentle, low levels in a balanced formula.