"The first batch felt like icy fire in my mouth—honestly, it was borderline painful rather than refreshing."
Yeah, peppermint oil is no joke when it's concentrated. Good call on the aloe vera juice to calm things down. I'm curious though, did you notice any lingering sensitivity afterward? Sometimes strong essential oils can temporarily irritate the gums or even affect taste buds for a bit... Did you experience anything like that or did the dilution pretty much solve it completely?
Peppermint oil can definitely pack a punch—I've had patients come in convinced they've permanently scorched their taste buds after DIY mouthwash experiments, lol. Usually, the irritation fades pretty quickly once diluted, but occasionally gums stay sensitive for a day or two. Did you try rinsing with warm salt water afterward? That usually helps calm things down faster... or did you just ride it out and hope for the best?
I've definitely been there with peppermint oil... let's just say my DIY toothpaste experiment taught me a valuable lesson about dilution, lol. Warm salt water helped a bit, but honestly, sipping some milk afterward was the real lifesaver—cheap and effective. I'm curious though, has anyone tried rescuing herbal oils gone wrong by blending them into lotions or soaps instead? Seems like it might mask mistakes better than trying to fix the original batch.
I totally get the peppermint oil struggle, haha. My first attempt at lavender oil turned into something that smelled more like burnt grass than relaxing flowers. Mixing it into lotion actually helped a lot—masked the weirdness enough to still use it up. Worth a shot maybe?
"Mixing it into lotion actually helped a lot—masked the weirdness enough to still use it up."
Haha, that's a pretty clever workaround. I had a similar issue once when I tried making rosemary oil at home. It ended up smelling super strong and kinda medicinal...not exactly the fresh herbal scent I was going for. Anyway, instead of lotion, I diluted it with almond oil and added a few drops of lemon essential oil—it surprisingly balanced things out nicely. The citrus seemed to cut through that weird medicinal vibe, making it way more pleasant and usable.
If lotions aren't your thing, you could also try turning your peppermint oil into a foot soak or bath additive. I've found that even the strongest-smelling oils mellow out a ton when they're diluted in water, especially if you toss in some Epsom salts or baking soda. Plus, peppermint is great for tired feet anyway, so win-win, right?
Another thing that helped me was letting the oil sit for a while longer. Sometimes those harsh or burnt smells fade a bit after a few weeks of resting. I accidentally discovered this when I shoved a weird-smelling batch into the back of my cupboard out of frustration, only to find it months later smelling way more tolerable.
Anyway, don't give up yet—homemade herbal stuff can be tricky, but it's usually salvageable with a little creativity and patience. Good luck!
