Healthy Living by Willow Creek Springs
A podcast about practices to promote healthy lives featuring experts, businesses, and clients: we gather to share our stories about success, failure, exploration, and so much more. Our subscription episodes feature some personal and vulnerable, real-life stories that are sensitive to some of the general public.
Healthy Living by Willow Creek Springs
Inside A Formulator’s Toolkit: Why Peppermint Elevates Natural Remedies
Peppermint doesn’t just taste fresh—it changes how a formula feels, works, and even smells. We open the lab door on our small-batch process and walk through the many jobs this single herb can do: calm a stubborn gut, lift a foggy mind, cool a throbbing temple, and open tight airways. Along the way, we share why ingredient quality matters, how peppermint acts as a catalyst alongside ginger and cayenne, and what separates an essential oil from menthol crystals when you’re building an elixir, balm, or capsule.
You’ll hear practical ways to use peppermint for digestive relief, from a simple tea that settles gas and bloating to a CBD-mint blend that takes the edge off treatment-related nausea and that metallic taste that ruins meals. We break down the science-backed cooling effect that activates TRPM8 receptors to modulate pain, and we show how a diluted temple rub can interrupt a headache before it becomes a day-ender. For muscles and joints, we talk ratios, carriers, and how peppermint pairs with other analgesics to ease post-workout soreness, stiffness, and mild strains without heavy fragrances or residue.
Breathing easier starts with the first inhale. We explain how menthol-rich vapor rubs and chest balms can help clear congestion, why essential oil preserves that candy-cane nuance for elixirs, and when to reach for menthol crystals for stronger topicals. Peppermint also steps outside the medicine cabinet: as an antimicrobial boost in toothpaste and mouthwash, a quick mood and focus reset during study or long drives, and even a savvy addition to DIY pest sprays and room refreshers. We wrap with safety essentials—smart dilution, skin testing, sensitivities, and pet cautions—so you can use peppermint with confidence.
If this deep dive helps you think differently about your home apothecary, follow the show, share it with a friend who loves natural remedies, and leave a quick review to help others find us. Got a favorite mint tip or blend? Send it our way and join the conversation.
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Well, hello, and welcome back to the Healthy Living Podcast. I'm your host, Joe Grumvine, and today we're gonna jump into a topic I've been wanting to get to for a while now, and I'm just gonna do it. I you may or may not know, I've been a formulator for a company called Willow Creek Springs for more than 20 years, and uh we make natural skincare products and herbal remedies and things like that. And one of the things that really makes a difference, obviously, or maybe not so obviously, are the ingredients that we use. And uh, you know, my wife and I have been doing this for well more than 25 years, actually. And we actually grow a number of the ingredients that we use in our formulas. Now we've got a lot of different kinds of formulas, we probably have over a hundred different products, and they vary from lotions and creams to pain-relieving products to elixir, capsules, all kinds of different things. And I really haven't gotten into that yet, and I found it kind of interesting because we also use CBD in a lot of our products, and um they work whether they have CBD or not, but as an ingredient, uh CBD provides a lot of value, and um we'll talk about that in the future. It's funny because I've had actually um a couple of people reach out to me with potential guests that were the owners of similar companies, and I've actually had on as guest um owners of companies that do offer natural products, but never were they that similar to what we do. Um, the CBD company. I I kind of said I just think we should not have them on as a guest because they're really direct competition, and frankly, that's not you know, Willow Creek Springs is actually the sponsor of this podcast, and so it wouldn't make sense to have um you know direct competition come and be a guest on the show talking about how great their company is, but it's all right. I if if they really wanted to come on, I'd probably let them. Um, but I never heard back. So the ingredients makes a huge difference when it comes to making these kinds of products. Um, you know, these are these are not big, giant commercial uh, you know, bengay or you know, altoids or whatever, a big giant commercially produced product. Uh these are small batch, uh made in a small little kitchen, um handcrafted. We don't have any big machines producing this stuff. Um, you know, we use small equipment um and still come up with a world-class product, if I don't if I do say so myself. And again, I think a lot of it has to do with the ingredients, the formulations themselves, um, maybe the intent of of what is going on while we're making the product themselves. A lot of a lot of things are at play. But I've had for 25 years over and over and over, clients come to me and say, you know, your product's just like this other guy's. I don't know why yours is so much better. And um, I always have to come back to well, you know, we we do our best to make the best product that we can, and and that includes um, you know, using quality ingredients. So whether we use fresh herbs or an herbal concentrate or essential oils or isolates crystals, there are so many different ways that you can use ingredients, and there's various reasons why you would use different ones. Today I want to talk about peppermint, and you think to yourself, ah, how cute, you know, how quaint peppermint. Very common, easy to grow herb. Many, many people have it growing in their yard, uh, in their garden, in a pot, wherever. Um, it's actually a hybrid mint that's mentha times piprita. And this is a very, very versatile ingredient. That's one of the reasons I want to talk about it up front because there's quite a bit to talk about. Um, and as an herb, there are just a lot of ways peppermint is used. I want to get into those. You know, I I don't mind talking about what I do, how I do it, um, share with clients. I actually consult clients on formulating products. Um, you know, some I'll I do custom formulations. I work with people that you know have their own recipes, uh, you know, all different levels. So the conversations go across the spectrum as far as um, you know, everything from making a tea to using um concentrates that that have a very specific ratios and and uh very specific formulas. So to start off, peppermint is a culinary herb. It's a flavoring agent, it tastes good. They use it in all kinds of food products, candies, uh, chocolate desserts, all kinds of teas, even savory dishes. Um it's one of the things I use it for as an ingredient in elixirs, um because a lot of them have a bitter taste because of the herbs that are used. Um we have a lot of ways to counteract that, but peppermint is got a sharp, crisp, tasty flavor that breaks through a lot of the bitter elements. And so in addition to the value of the ingredient, it also adds um value as a flavoring agent. Um now the essential oil is often used to flavor, you know, beverages as uh minty tastes, sauces, marinades, all kinds of things. You can use peppermint essential oil for a lot of things. There are many different grades of peppermint essential oil, and I have found um a really good one from a reliable source that I use, and it it smells and tastes just like uh candy cane, really tasty, delicious, and effective. Um medicinally peppermint has got a lot of values. Um one really common, you know, house folk medicine is its ability to soothe digestive issues. Um, it can help out with gas, it can alleviate symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, um, a little peppermint tea can calm your stomach. And with this, generally, you're gonna use the freshly dried herb. You could put a little essential oil in if you needed to, but uh it usually the fresh dried herb imparts a strong flavor and a good value. If you do or don't know, recently um I've been going through uh about with a very aggressive cancer, and part of the treatment I've taken is a pretty heavy-duty chemotherapy, and the one of the side effects of that is just brutal nausea and a really bad taste in your mouth, where food, every kind of food tastes terrible. And I've found that peppermint has been instrumental in both calming my nausea and helping to uh offset that taste. And uh little peppermint mint or a little essential oil, or um, I've mixed up some drops that have CBD and extra peppermint just for that purpose. Um really effective and quick acting, and so when it comes to using this ingredient, um I use it in many of my elixirs, and one of the things peppermint also does is it acts as a catalyst, and a lot of times I'll I'll have different combinations of herbs, and I'll put in something like ginger or um peppermint or cayenne. All three of these ingredients can act as a catalyst, meaning they give a little extra kick. Um, I think it has to do with bioabsorption. Um, it opens up channels so that your body can absorb them, the other ingredients better. Um, I think it also may work energetically. I that's not something that we can tangibly demonstrate, but um I think many people who work with herbs know that there's energy involved, and uh some of these herbs are very energetic and they help to light the other ones up. For whatever reason, I just know that when you add a little peppermint to a formula, an existing good formula can be substantially better. And that's just one of the things, one of the little tricks is working with catalysts. Um headache relief, this is can be a really great addition. Um, if you get a headache, even or even a migraine, sometimes you can just take a little bit of peppermint oil into a carrier. You generally don't want to put straight essential oils on you um on your skin directly or or consume them directly, but you'll add them to a few drops to a carrier. It could be MCT oil, hemp seed oil, olive oil. There's any number of good carriers, coconut oil, and just put a little bit under your temples. And you can use quite a bit of essential oil with a little bit of carrier, but it makes all the difference in the world. And it can cause a headache to uh diminish, and it can also cut through, even you know, if you can catch it early, especially a migraine. If you get into a cycle of pain and uh you peppermint oil can help break that, but we also use it in an again our headache relief elixir and many other ones. Uh respiratory support. I I have uh an amazing uh respiratory support formula, um, both uh an elixir and a capsule, and peppermint is absolutely one of the ingredients in it, and you know it's it helps to clear nasal passages, helps to ease breathing, it's a natural decongestant. Um, I use I make a vapor rub and I use copious amounts of menthol. Um a lot of even the menthol crystals, which we'll get to. Um well, we can get to it right now. So the essential oil is a liquid, kind of a an oily extract, evaporates fairly quickly, but that oil can be concentrated into menthol crystals, which are solid, they look like uh salt crystals or big sugar crystals, and they're super fragrant, they're super concentrated, and you know, gram for gram, you get more bang for your buck out of the menthol crystals, but I think you lose some of the nuance of the essential oil when it gets concentrated that much, and the smell is effective, works really well, but it is it loses a little bit of that, I don't know, really tasty candy cane sort of element to it. So for elixirs and that sort of thing, I generally just stay with the essential oil. We'll get to the we'll get to topicals and things like that in a bit. Um, but really a great addition for respiratory support. Um I I use it for my elixir, and you can taste it. And when you breathe in, you just really feel it. It's cool and it opens up your air, it helps to open up your airways, and again, it helps the other herbs work better as well. Um even something like uh VIX vapor rubber mentholatum, it's mentholatum, it's full of menthol. Um just those vapors really you breathe them in, and you know, if you have asthma or uh congestion, bronchitis, whatever, it can really help clear it up. A little uh vapor rub under your nose can help clear your sinuses, just an amazing ingredient. Um stress release. This is a thing that people may or may not realize, but peppermint helps you feel better, it it raises your mood, um, get a little clarity, uh it can help break through fatigue. So you take a little mint, you know, strong mint, like an altoid or uh, you know, some kind of a of a strong, strong peppermint, essential oil with a little carrier, however you want to consume it, um even put a little dab under your nose and just smell it as an aromatherapy treatment, and you can knock out, you know, especially like if you're uh dozing off while you're driving or you know, trying to study, or anytime when when you're dragging ass for whatever reason, um, or you're stressed out and you're just depressed, whatever, it can absolutely open up your mind, give you a little clarity, and remove the fatigue and stress. Really great stuff. It can also improve your mood. Um, you know, generally when you're alert, your mood is better. I mean, it obviously you can have an enhanced awareness while you're under stress, but a lot of times when you're feeling good, you're noticing things, you're aware, you're awake. Um, it's a good thing. So that gets into kind of the folk remedies sort of thing. Um there are all kinds of tidbits of folk remedies that go all the way into milk production for nursing mothers, um, alleviating menstrual cramps, um, you know, just so many things, a little bit of peppermint can can help. So this is just if you're gonna have one herb in your medicine cabinet, definitely this is gonna be one of them. For skin care and cosmetics, um, peppermint is used a lot. It, you know, obviously, you're gonna find it in personal care products, toothpaste, mouthwashes, um, even things like lip balms. It has antibacterial properties, um, and it just leaves your mouth fresh. So anytime that you're gonna put it into a product, um just makes you leaves your mouth feeling good. For skincare, um, it's got a lot of values, and we're gonna get into topical pain relief in a little bit, but um it can be good for a massage oil. As not just for helping to relieve the soreness in your muscles, but also as like an energetic uh formula. A lot of times massage oils will have a purpose. Like I've got three basic massage oils: a therapeutic, a uh energetic, and uh relaxing. And the energetic one definitely has some peppermint in it. Um believe it or not, peppermint can be a pet uh pest repellent. Uh it can repel pests like ants and spiders. It can be a lot of times if you get yourself a do-it-yourself pest control, um, even things like spraying it on uh as an ingredient in uh uh vegetable, you know, pest control. Uh peppermint can be one of the ingredients to help remove and repel pests. So that's kind of cool. Also, it can be used as an air freshener. Um, you know, I have a toner and a little teeny bit of peppermint can go a long way in a sunburn relief spray and a toner, and um just a just a teeny mint can really freshen things up a little bit. So remember when you're consuming peppermint oil or menthol crystals, uh make sure and dilute it. It can it can cause irritations, and remember always anytime you're using an herb topically or consuming it, always try a little bit. Although it's very unusual, um, some people are sensitive, and you know, we'll talk about capsaicin in the future, and a lot of people are sensitive to that, so you know, not everybody can handle it, and it's definitely something that you gotta make sure that you know you're okay with. Um as pain relief, peppermint has a particular value. Um, it actually has a cooling sensation, a cooling effect on the skin or the even mucous membranes, and it can distract the brain from pain. It's called a um counter irritant, and the cooling effect actually activates the TRPM8 receptor, which is responsible for sensing temperature changes. So when you put a lotion or cream or a roll on or um whatever with that has um peppermint oil in it, it literally causes a cooling effect, which can make all the difference in the world. Um, as a pain reliever, it actually has analgesic properties, it can increase blood circulation, and when you do that, that can enhance your pain relief. It can also modulate pain perception, like we were talking about with as a counter irritant, um different receptors and pathways within the nervous system. This peppermint oil can affect. So when you put it on, you know, you got a a bruise or you're sore for whatever reason, you twisted your ankle, um, you got a sore neck, whatever it is, and you put it on, the first thing you feel is that coolness, and then after a while, you'll find that uh it just doesn't hurt so much. And again, a lot of times it just overwhelms the nerve endings with the sensation and floods those receptors and makes it feel cool instead of the pain. Really kind of cool. Um, it's used in a lot of different formulas, all different kinds of oils, creams, balms to relieve muscle ache and soreness. And it has a soothing effect for stiffness, strains, even you know, just soreness after exercise. Again, we talked a little bit about headaches. Um, with migraines in particular, nausea can be a factor, and thank God I've never had migraines, but I know a lot of people who have, and the pain can be so overwhelming that you know it can bring about nausea, and the peppermint can help to back that off a little bit. Um, joint pain and a lot of different formulas. Um peppermint oil actually has anti-inflammatory properties, and so in addition to other ingredients, peppermint oil can help to reduce swelling and thus affect the pain around joints and muscles, it can make a big difference. There are even studies that say peppermint oil can help alleviate menstrual cramps when massaged into the abdomen or even drinking the tea. We talked a little bit about you know folk medicine, but when you get into studies, you're having another conversation. It's not just about um, you know, and Aunt Sally or grandma used to use this. Um you do a study on something and you start to collect data, and you get a sense of is this something that works or not, and definitely um this has got value here. Even neuropathic pain. So one of the um side effects of the chemotherapy that I've had is some neuropathy in my hands and feet, and I have some numbness both in my hands and feet, my feet worse, and so sometimes I will take and I get itchiness even. Um, and I believe it's a again a side effect from some of the chemo. But I have I make a lotion that has a lot of cooling agents in it, and peppermint oil is one of them, and I'll put that on the bottom of my feet, and I'll put that on my uh on my legs where they're itching, and within seconds, minutes for sure, it will go away dramatically, dramatically, and quickly. So again, you can make your own, you can just put a little peppermint oil into uh, you know, coconut oil, jojoba oil, hemp seed oil, olive oil, and just rub it right on. Um and the peppermint tea, don't underestimate. Peppermint tea is delicious, it's soothing, calms your stomach, just the the vapor coming off of it when you're drinking it. You get a little bit of clarity, clears your sinuses a bit. So I'm gonna say overall, peppermint is a very important herb. If you're gonna have a small medicine chest with some herbal remedies in it, I would most definitely include peppermint. And um, you know, I touched on a lot of points, but there's a whole lot more than that. Do your research, um, experiment, get out there. Peppermint's a very safe herb. Most people, I mean, occasionally you'll have somebody that's got a um sensitivity to it. Now, animals, dogs, and are and cats, I think, are generally pretty sensitive to peppermint. You don't want to give them peppermint. Um, doesn't mean it's gonna hurt them, but it could it could irritate them. So I think that's really what I've got to say about peppermint. I think it's a great herb. I'm glad I like the way it tastes and smells, and uh an amazing ingredient with many uses. So this has been another episode of the Healthy Living Podcast. I'm your host, Joe Grumbine, and I want to thank all the listeners who have made the show possible. And remember, if you like the show, maybe consider coming on as a guest, or very least tell somebody about it, share the link. Um as the show grows, we're getting better guests, more guests, and um better quality, everything about it. So we're gonna keep on rolling. We're entering our fourth year here real soon. And um got over 300 episodes, over 200 guests, and uh we're rolling along. So thank you, and we will see you next time.
