Botanical Ingredient

Peppermint

Mentha x piperita

Peppermint is a natural hybrid of watermint and spearmint, cultivated medicinally for at least 2,000 years and one of the most extensively studied aromatic herbs in Western medicine. Its menthol content (35–55% of the essential oil) activates TRPM8 cold-sensing receptors in the skin, producing a powerful cooling sensation without actually lowering tissue temperature. Beyond the cooling effect, peppermint demonstrates meaningful anti-inflammatory and analgesic action, making it valuable in both respiratory and musculoskeletal formulas.

Cooling (menthol activates TRPM8 receptors)Anti-inflammatoryAnalgesicAntimicrobialDecongestantAntispasmodic

Infused into 2 InVine formulas

Peppermint plant with dark green serrated leaves and purple stem

Traditional Uses

Cooling and soothing inflamed skin
Topical headache and tension relief
Opening congested airways (chest and temple application)
Muscle pain relief
Digestive support (internal)
Antimicrobial topical care

Key Properties

Cooling (menthol activates TRPM8 receptors)Anti-inflammatoryAnalgesicAntimicrobialDecongestantAntispasmodic

Did You Know

Menthol's cooling effect is so powerful that even imagining the smell of peppermint has been shown in some studies to reduce perceived temperature — the brain is that responsive to the association.

Our Sourcing

Peppermint is one of the most vigorous growers in InVine's Tallahassee garden — it spreads readily in Florida's warm, moist conditions and yields generously through the growing season. We harvest leaves before flowering for maximum menthol concentration, then dry and slow-infuse in cold-extracted organic oils for eight full weeks. The peppermint essential oil used in Breathe Free and Muscle Revive Balms is sourced separately from a trusted supplier and added at the finish of the formula — distinct from the whole-herb oil infusion.

Why We Use It

Peppermint appears in two balms because it does genuinely different work in each one. In Breathe Free, the whole-herb infusion creates a softer, more rounded version of its cooling and clearing action than an essential oil alone would — the plant contains a broader range of phytochemicals than any extraction process captures completely. In Muscle Revive, peppermint provides the cooling counterpoint to cayenne and ginger: that combination of heat and cool is what makes the formula feel alive and therapeutically complete rather than simply hot.