Uses of Peppermint Camphor Oil
Peppermint camphor, an old name for menthol, is the solid extract of the peppermint plant (Mentha piperita), and has qualities similar to camphor extracted from camphor trees. Traditionally, menthol is inhaled as a nasal and bronchial decongestant. Other external and internal uses, and the dangers associated with peppermint camphor oil, may not be so well known.
Features
Peppermint contains 27 phytochemicals---natural compounds found in plants---as well as calcium, choline, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, zinc, niacin, riboflavin, thiamine and vitamin E. Menthol has a bitter taste, and its odor is pungent, penetrating and cold. Aromatherapy applications for menthol include the treatment of shock, hysteria, and to quell nausea and vomiting.
History
The first recorded extraction of menthol from peppermint oil in the West was in 1771, but Asian use of menthol is much older. Menthol exists in large quantities in Chinese and Japanese peppermint oils, or it can be distilled from domestically grown plants. In 1884, a description of this process was published in the American Journal of Pharmacology.
Topical Uses
Because menthol temporarily numbs peripheral sensory nerves when applied to the skin, it relieves the itch and pain of minor skin irritations, herpes virus outbreaks such as cold sores and shingles, and even headache pain. Peppermint camphor relieves sore muscles and joint pain, which is why commercial preparations such as Bengay and IcyHot use menthol as a main ingredient. Menthol was found in a 2009 Egyptian study to kill lice on contact and prevent eggs from hatching. Topical preparations generally contain from 5 percent to 20 percent menthol.
Internal Uses
Menthol is stronger than peppermint oil. Peppermint oil, as it is released in boiling water to make tea, has properties that aid digestion and is commonly used as a remedy for colic, heartburn, and indigestion. Enteric-coated, delayed-release peppermint oil capsules are currently prescribed by doctors to relieve the pain and spasms that characterize irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). However, menthol should only be used for digestive ailments under the advice of a healthcare practitioner. A typical dose for internal use would be from 1/8 to 2 grains in a capsule or olive oil base.
In small doses, menthol relieves toothaches and earaches; a 20 percent solution in olive oil may be applied once a day. Menthol has long been added to tobacco products because it cools the effect of harsh smoke. In 2008, the American Journal of Public Health published an analysis showing that menthol makes tobacco use more appealing to underage smokers. People who smoke menthol cigarettes also may have more difficulty quitting than those who smoke unflavored tobacco products.
Warning
Nerve paralysis and the loss of sensation and motion have resulted from toxic levels of menthol taken internally, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Because of its ability to increase mucus production---which may block small airways---mentholated ointment should not be applied near the nostrils of young children to treat respiratory ailments. Pregnant and nursing women should not take menthol internally.
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