"I once accidentally made a peppermint oil that was so intense it practically cleared my sinuses from across the room, lol."
Haha, been there! Peppermint can definitely go from refreshing to overwhelming real quick. Have you ever tried lavender or chamomile to mellow things out? They're gentle enough to balance stronger scents without overpowering them. I once had a clove oil batch that was way too spicy-smelling... added a bit of sweet orange oil and it turned into something pretty pleasant. Might be worth experimenting next time things get funky.
I've definitely noticed peppermint can get intense quickly, especially if you're not careful with the concentration. Lavender is a good suggestion, though personally I find chamomile a bit too subtle to balance stronger scents. Have you ever experimented with eucalyptus? It's strong enough to hold its own against peppermint without clashing too much. I once had a mouthwash blend that turned out way too minty—adding eucalyptus actually mellowed it nicely and gave it a more balanced freshness. Curious if anyone else has tried mixing those two...
Eucalyptus is a great call, actually. I once made a DIY toothpaste that ended up tasting like pure Altoids—borderline painful, lol. Added a bit of eucalyptus oil and it toned down the minty burn without killing the freshness. Just gotta be careful not to overdo eucalyptus either, or you'll end up brushing your teeth with Vicks Vaporub vibes... been there, done that.
Eucalyptus can definitely go sideways fast. I once tried making a homemade mouth rinse with clove oil—thought it'd help my gums—and ended up numbing my whole mouth for hours. Diluting with aloe juice helped tone it down nicely, though... lesson learned the hard way.
Clove oil can be pretty intense, yeah... but aloe juice—interesting choice! Did you find the aloe juice affected the flavor much? Personally, I'd be cautious about aloe because some people can get irritated by it. Maybe something neutral like coconut oil or even diluted chamomile tea could work as a gentler alternative. Did you notice any sensitivity afterward, or was it mostly just the numbing issue?
