A month ago, the Damsel made peppermint oil and put it in a dark cupboard for the specified time. The Damsel hates waiting, but the time has come. Click here for the original post.
The Damsel was excited.. She’s not the kind of girl who opens presents early. So this morning she anxiously looked to see what had transpired inside that pint jar.
Ew! The leaves on top were yucky and smooshy looking. They were well-saturated with oil but not submerged. It had a strong minty, earthy odor.
She lifted off the top layer with a fork. Underneath the leaves looked more normal-colored. (Epic fail on the photo capturing that nice green color)
Now we need to strain this. Put some cheesecloth over a container (the Damsel used another pint jar). Instead of cheesecloth, you could use any small mesh strainer.
Pour it all in and let it drain. It’ll drip a while.
The liquid looks dark in the jar, but if you pour a little onto a spoon, you’ll see a deep golden color.
So now what do you do with the stuff?
The Damsel doesn’t feel good about tasting this or using it internally in any way, because it wasn’t made in a sterile environment, like canning peaches or something. So what can you do with it?
1. Put a few drops in the stream of water when you’re running a bath. The scent will invigorate you.
2. Ants seem to hate it. Fill a spray bottle with water and add 15 or so drops, and spray anywhere you don’t want ants. This is not to kill them, but to keep them away. They won’t cross the line. You can wipe down surfaces you don’t want ants on as well, like windowsills or counters.
3. For headaches, dab it on your forehead and temples, and have a nice lie-down. Is it the peppermint or is it the rest? Who knows? Who cares, if it works? Alternatively, sprinkle a few drops on a cold, damp cloth (not dripping) and lay across your eyes. Careful not to get it in your eyes, though.
4. Some folks say rubbing it on your feet will break a fever, especially in children. Or, put some in your footbath to add to its restorative action.
5. Mice. Yes. Dampen cotton balls with the oil and put where you think the mice are coming in. Spraying it on mouse-ridden areas will also help repel them for as long as the scent lasts.
6. 10 drops of oil per 2 ounces of water in a spray will keep you cool on a hot day outside, and will also repel insects. Spray at will, but don’t get it in your eyes.
7. And yes, it’s supposed to repel deer as well. Spray liberally and hope for the best. According to the internets, it works almost as well as tiger urine. The Damsel doesn’t want to think about acquiring tiger urine.
8. Make your own massage oil by adding as much as you like to skin-approved vegetable oil. Start with 5 drops per ounce.
What uses have you heard of? Leave a comment and get extra love from the Damsel.
