Episode 173: Utilizing Natural Cleansers and Japanese Peppermint

doTERRA: Natural cleansers have exponentially grown in popularity in recent years, but it can be hard to know what the best products are for you and your family. Today, we'll discuss the incredible options doTERRA has for you.

Welcome back to Essential Oil Solutions with doTERRA, the podcast where you'll hear exciting, useful, and simple everyday uses for essential oils from experts in the field. If you like what you hear today, rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen. We always appreciate hearing from you.

Today, we're excited to talk to Samantha Lewis, a member of the doTERRA product marketing team, about using natural cleansers. Plus, we'll take a look at the history of Japanese Peppermint. Samantha, thank you so much for being here with us today.

Samantha Lewis: Thanks for having me!

doTERRA: Now this is a really fun topic because I think there is so much information out there, but my first question for you is why is it that we want to stay away from these harsher chemical cleansers?

Samantha: I totally agree. I love this topic. I feel like it's something we've really been deep diving into as an industry completely over the last few years and as doTERRA in the last couple of years with a few launches of some new, exciting things.

But I think it's really important to understand what's in our home cleaning products and to stay away from some of those intense toxins that are commonly found in chemical cleansers, ingredients that can have short-term and even long-term effects.

As one of my mentors here at doTERRA, Bekah Nixon, has said these are the unintended consequences of good intentions. Basically, the intention is to keep your home clean and safe, but at times we might be creating an unsafe environment, depending on what chemical cleansers we use.

doTERRA: I think that's absolutely right, and I love that little phrase. You know, we're trying to do so good. We're trying to keep our family protected, but sometimes that can have some unintended consequences.

Samantha: Yeah.

doTERRA: So on the reverse side, what are some of the benefits that we can gain from using these natural cleansers?

Samantha: Well, not only can we effectively clean our home, meaning those good intentions, right? But we can also reap the benefits of some powerful natural cleansers. We have to clean homes, and we want to make sure we have a safe, clean environment for our families and friends to feel comfortable in. And hopefully they can know that we're also not using cleaners that can cause unwanted effects.

doTERRA: Definitely. Now you mentioned some launches for some recent things that doTERRA has done and some research that's been done into this topic. What are some of the essential oils that have cleansing benefits that we can utilize?

Samantha: Yeah, so in general, I feel like you can pretty much count on herbs and citrus is to have cleansing benefits. There are obviously oils in other categories that do have cleansing benefits that I'll talk about in a minute. But citruses and herbs are the places that you would want to start.

These benefits might vary slightly from oil to oil, whether it's surface, topical, aromatic, internal cleansing or even a different combo of the four usage methods. And kind of what I hinted to earlier, I'm sure you've all become very familiar with the new abōde™ blend and the powerful cleansing products that have come along with it.

We've really highlighted Thyme or thymol in the surface cleaner. So we have an isolated thymol, which is the main constituent in Thyme. Thyme oil is known for its unprecedented cleansing abilities. Honestly, just do a quick internet search. It's an incredible ingredient.

Also in the abode blend is Arborvitae, which not only smells incredible, but it's also known as another powerful cleansing agent. Combined with Lemon, arborvitae can act as a great wood polish in a cleaning base.

doTERRA: I love all of those, and like you said, one of the benefits is you get that smell and you get the aroma and you get these side benefits while you're also cleaning, which is incredible.

Samantha: Exactly! I love it.

doTERRA: Now, Samantha, what other options does doTERRA have for natural cleaning, outside, you know, the oils themselves?

Samantha: So I mentioned the abōde home care line, which I personally can't get enough of. But we also have our dōTERRA On Guard® Cleaner Concentrate. This is great for the colder times of year. Not only does it have a cinnamony kind of holiday-esque aroma, but it also provides natural protection while being a safe, plant-based surfactant, which contributes to a clean home like we were talking about earlier, both on the surface but also by using natural cleansing mechanisms.

doTERRA: Totally. And I love that there are so many options. The abōde line is incredible, and it's got so many different products in there, which is amazing.

And then we also have that On Guard cleaner. If you're looking for something that's a little warmer maybe for the winter months, a smell that maybe smells a little more like the holidays, if that's what you're looking for.

Samantha: Yeah, it's incredible. Honestly, we have so many options. And then there's also endless opportunities for different DIY s if that's what you're into as well. We have a ton of recipes on the blog, which I love to use that are vinegar- and alcohol-based. And then you go in and add different cleansing oils, like Arborvitae we talked about, maybe in just straight Thyme, Lemon, Wild Orange. I mean, I could go on and on. The list is almost endless.

doTERRA: Yes, I totally agree. Samantha, thank you so much for talking with us today, for teaching us a little bit more about how we can utilize these natural cleansers in our home.

Samantha: Yeah, thanks for having me. It's my pleasure.

doTERRA: Peppermint has probably been one of the most popular plants throughout history. Some of the earliest mentions of peppermint appear in Greek mythology, by Roman philosophers, the Christian Bible, and monks in the Middle Ages. There are even Ancient Egyptian texts dating as early as 1550 BC that include peppermint.

Peppermint in Greek Mythology

Now, the name peppermint actually comes from Greek mythology, and as in all Greek mythologies, there are many versions of the story. However, the most popular one says that Hades seduced the nymph, Minthe, and his wife, Persephone, became enraged with jealousy and turned Minthe into a plant that people would constantly walk on.

Outraged by his wife's interference, Hades imbued the plant with peppermint, so whenever the plant was crushed underneath footfalls, it would release a wonderful aroma. Hades hoped that by doing this, people would remember Minthe and recall how beautiful and full of life she had been.

Japanese Peppermint

Now, since antiquity peppermint has been cultivated in Japan for traditional purposes and was known as Hakuka. It was used as a domestic remedy and was extremely popular.

The gorgeous blue and green leaves and light violet flowers inspire people across Japan to grow this plant at home in planters and fields, and the Japanese once carried dried and pulverized leaves in a small silver box hanging from their girdles.

Peppermint’s popularity around the world has long been documented. In the late 1700s in England, a natural remedy called essence of peppermint had great popularity, as well as in America and in Cananda. A popularity that continued through the late 19th century. And in London in the 1850s, there were even street vendors who would sell peppermint water out of kegs.

Menthol Content

Now, the main difference between Japanese Peppermint and its variants across the world is the amount of menthol occurring naturally in the plant. Japanese Peppermint oil has a very high percentage of menthol in its structure, allowing just a few leaves to go a very long way.

In manufacturing, Japanese mint is used in everything from toothpaste and mouthwash, to creams, lotions, and perfumes. And commercially it is used as a source of menthol.

Peppermint has been and remains one of the most widely used herbs for traditional purposes since its discovery, and we hope you and your family are able to experience the amazing benefits that Japanese Peppermint can bring into your home. Thanks for joining us and congratulations on living a healthier lifestyle with essential oils. If you liked what you heard today, rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen. Also, if you want to try any of the products you learned about, go to doterra.com or find a Wellness Advocate near you to place an order today.