DIY Peppermint Oil: A Natural Insect Deterrent

Essential oils have become one of my favourite DIYs to make at home myself. I’ve made a couple before such as lavender and grapefruit, but I wanted to experiment with making a homemade version of peppermint oil. The reason this came about was because it’s been summer up here on the Gold Coast, and with this warmer weather has come a lot of bugs and insects. We’ve recently had a few cockroaches, spiders, and ants get into our home. So I’ve started looking for some natural ways to help deter them without using chemical sprays and one of these ways was using peppermint oil.

Why Peppermint Oil?

Rodents and insects don’t like the strong smell of peppermint thanks to the compounds terpene, alcohol and menthol. A few ways to use peppermint oil around the home to deter insects include mixing a few drops of peppermint oil with some hot water, and then just pouring that into a spray bottle and spraying down countertops, furniture, curtains, blinds, and any areas where insects are present. You can also add about 5-10 drops of peppermint oil onto some cotton balls and place them around the house and just refresh the cotton balls at least once a month.

How to Make DIY Peppermint Oil

In my blog post which I’ll link in the description below, I do share a few more ways on how to deter insects using peppermint oil, and I also share the recipe on that blog post for this peppermint oil as well. I collected some organic mint from my local farmer’s market and olive oil from my local bulk food store to make this peppermint oil, so everything was plastic-free. I then reused an old essential oils tincture bottle that I had at home to store my homemade peppermint oil in.

Important Note

Now forewarning, this method won’t produce what is technically a true essential oil as steam distilling is required to make an authentic essential oil. You’d have to distil the peppermint leaves, capture the steam, and condense that steam into a liquid. This process requires heat, pressure and certain equipment to make true essential oils, so you’ll need the proper equipment to make it. But for those of us whose kitchens aren’t filled with essential oil or distilling equipment, you can use this process to create a herb-infused oil. Now keep in mind that this oil will not be as concentrated as a true essential oil, but it does still contain many of the benefits.

Ingredients Needed

So to make this peppermint oil today, you’ll need about 1/2 cup of organic fresh peppermint leaves and about 1/2 cup of a carrier oil like olive oil or coconut oil.

Step-by-Step Guide

So to make it you want to wash the peppermint leaves well (even organic leaves), throw the mint leaves into a strainer or colander, and thoroughly rinse with some water. Lay the mint leaves spread out on some paper towels to dry completely before moving on to the next step.

Crushing the Leaves

So next you use your hands, a spoon, knife, or mortar and pestle to crush up the leaves to release the oil within, then add the crushed leaves to your glass jar and pack them in well. Then take your carrier oil and completely cover all the leaves. Now don’t fill up the whole jar otherwise the extract will be too diluted.

Steeping Process

Then tightly seal the jar and let it sit for 24 hours to 3 days. The longer it sits the stronger the potency. Let the oil steep on a sunny windowsill and check the glass every 12 hours or so, then using a strainer, cheesecloth, or nut milk bag, strain out the mint leaves. You can strain it into a separate bowl or cup or right back into the jar, then compost the leaves.

Repeating the Process

Repeat the first few steps again to prepare more leaves to add to the jar, then add a little more carrier oil and seal and allow it to steep for another 24 hours to 3 days, and repeat the process again. Strain out the oil and store in a small, dark coloured bottle. Dark bottles protect the properties within the oil much better, preventing deterioration. Then seal with a lid and store in a cool, dry place – don’t refrigerate it though – and you can keep it for up to 6 months.

Conclusion

And that’s how you make this DIY peppermint oil. I hope you guys enjoyed today’s video. Do let me know if you try it out yourself or if you’ve made other oils and herb-infused oils like that before in the past, I’d love to hear about it. Otherwise thank you again for watching, I really hope you enjoyed today’s video, and I hope to see you again soon in my next video. Bye..

Important Note

Crushing the Leaves

Steeping Process

Conclusion

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