The anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties of peppermint.

Peppermint has been widely used to freshen breath in toothpaste, chewing gum and mouth wash. These products are based on its effective anti-bacterial properties, killing bacterial in the mouth which causes bad breath.

A number of studies have looked at how these benefits can be translated into a wider range of products, such as fabrics, personal care and cosmetics.

Peppermint oil

Peppermint (Mentha piperita) oil is one of the most popular and widely used Essential Oils. In the Essential Oil from M. piperita, menthol is identified as the major compound, followed by menthyl acetate and menthofuran.[25]

Therapeutic properties

• Antibacterial: Peppermint oil shows an inhibitory effect on the proliferation of staphylococci[26]
• Antifungal: Studies show that Essential Oil exhibit fungistatic and fungicidal activities against both the standard and clinical strains of Candida species at concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 8 μL/mL. EOs exhibit similar antifungal effect against the azole-resistant and azole-susceptible strains[25]
• Antibiofilm: Biofilm inhibition in fungal strains helps to decrease pathogenesis and drug resistance. Studies show that Essential Oil inhibits the biofilm formation of Candida albicans completely up to 2 μl/ml in a dose-dependent manner.

Read the complete study here.

If you want to look to take utilise the natural benefits of peppermint oil in your products, explore the Reed Pacific range of slow release essential oils.