topical peppermint oil?

is there any negatives to this I know they say internally it'll lower your testosterone and give you gyno over the long term, but what I've tried a couple times whenever I feel heavy inflammation, or itching using peppermint oil gets rid of it instantly might help circulation too not sure.

Per this abstract, it's said to inhibit 5 alpha reductase.

http://sciencelinks.jp/j-east/article/200408/000020040804A0230063.php

Essential plant oils and headache mechanisms.
Göbel H, Schmidt G, Dworschak M, Stolze H, Heuss D.
Neurological Clinic of the Christian Albrechts University, Niemannsweg 147, 24105 Kiel Germany.

Abstract
The rationale for using essential oils to alleviate headache is based on several assumptions. Especially for peppermint oil certain analgesic mechanisms were recently described. Local application of peppermint oil generates a long-lasting cooling effect on the skin, caused by a steric alteration of the calcium channels of the cold-receptors. Further it was shown that peppermint oil inhibits non-competively 5-hydroxytryptamin (Serotonine) and substance P induced smooth muscle contraction in animal-models. It is also known that peppermint oil induces a significant increase of the skin blood flow of the forehead after local application, measured by laser doppler. Assuming that a clinical relevant analgesic action exists, this ought to be observable in experimental algesimetric human tests. Therefore the effects of peppermint oil and eucalyptus oil preparations on neurophysiological, psychological and experimental algesimetric parameters were investigated in 32 healthy subjects in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized cross-over design. Four different test preparations were used: preparation 1 (LI1701) consisted of 10 g peppermint oil and 5 g eucalyptus oil plus ethanol 90% to 100 g; preparation 2 (LI1702) of 10 g peppermint oil and traces of eucalyptus oil plus ethanol 90% to 100g; preparation 3 (LI1703) of traces of peppermint oil and 5 g eucalyptus oil plus ethanol 90% to 100 g; and preparation 4 (placebo) of traces of peppermint oil and traces of eucalyptus oil plus ethanol 90% to 100 g. The test preparations were applied to large areas of the forehead and temples using a small sponge. The treatment effect of the preparations was evaluated by comparing baseline and treatment measurements. The combination of peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil and ethanol can increase cognitive performance while having a muscle-relaxing and mentally relaxing effect, but has little influence on pain sensitivity. A significant analgesic effect with a reduction in sensitivity to headache is however produced by the combination of peppermint oil and ethanol. The essential plant oil preparations can thus be shown by laboratory tests to exert significant effects on mechanisms associated with the pathophysiology of clinical headache syndromes. Further, to investigate the efficacy of essential oil preparations compared to usual analgesics (paracetamol or acetylsalicylicacid) a double blind, placebo controlled, randomized study should be performed.

Also, if you Ctrl+F for blood flow or vasodilation there is more evidence peppermint oil/menthol it is a vasodilator:

http://www.longwoodherbal.org/peppermint/peppermint.pdf

I've used peppermint shampoos for a long time, and I feel like they are effective. I think it's time to try some more concentrated stuff. I am going to order a bottle of this on Amazon and see how it goes. I'm also going to try fenugreek oil. Then perhaps I'll compare the two, if I get any results.

Is it the Dr Bronners peppermint soap that you use?

Is Dr. Bronner's even safe? I had bad results with it.

Growdamnit wrote:Is Dr. Bronner's even safe? I had bad results with it.

What bad results did you have with it out of curiosity?

more than likely waxy feeling after washing buildup possibly too dry scalp might make the hair appear more thin those are my experiences though, most commercial dandruff shampoos can make hair look more thin too ime especially nizoral.

theseeker86 wrote:

Growdamnit wrote:Is Dr. Bronner's even safe? I had bad results with it.

What bad results did you have with it out of curiosity?

My hair was just dry and brittle when I got done using it. It looks and feels MUCH healthier without shampooing at all, just using bar soap on my temples, brushing with a boar bristle, and using emu oil on my temples.

The oil can make your skin conditions worse and cause further irritation through rashes.So Always consult your doctor before treating a condition yourself.

hemantlatawa1 wrote:The oil can make your skin conditions worse and cause further irritation through rashes.So Always consult your doctor before treating a condition yourself.

Why do you think they will know anything about peppermint oil?

maybe taking it temporarly can be a good idea if someone has discomfort eating or trouble digesting things , i know a lot of people here on the forum do.

The treatment of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth with enteric-coated peppermint oil: a case report. (Peppermint Oil).

Recent investigations have shown that bacterial overgrowth of the small intestine is associated with a number of functional somatic disorders, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome. A number of controlled studies have shown that enteric-coated peppermint oil (ECPO) is of benefit in the treatment of IBS. However, despite evidence of strong antimicrobial activity, ECPO has not been specifically investigated for an effect on small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). A case report of a patient with SIBO who showed marked subjective improvement in IBS-like symptoms and significant reductions in hydrogen production after treatment with ECPO is presented. While further investigation is necessary, the results in this case suggest one of the mechanisms by which ECPO improves IBS symptoms is antimicrobial activity in the small intestine.

full study at: http://www.biomedsearch.com/article/treatment-small-intestinal-bacterial-overgrowth/94159011.html

thx for posting that alpha delta.