💯 Pure, Organic Wintergreen Essential Oil 50ml
Wintergreen oil uses and forms
Pain and inflammation relief
The active ingredient in wintergreen oil, methyl salicylate, is closely related to aspirin and has analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. As such, products containing wintergreen oil are often used as an anti-inflammatory and topical pain reliever.
Wintergreen oil has also been used in traditional medicine for the following conditions:
bacterial infections
colds
headache
colic
skin conditions
sore throat
tooth decay
Insecticide
Wintergreen oil may also be found in insecticides and repellents. However, research suggests that, when compared to other essential oils, it may be more effective as an insecticide or fumigant than as a repellent.Trusted Source
Flavoring and scents
In industry and manufacturing, wintergreen oil is used as a flavoring agent for products such as candies, toothpastes, and mouthwashes. It can also be used as a scent additive.
Wintergreen oil benefits
Many of the stated benefits or uses of wintergreen oil are derived from anecdotal evidence, meaning they’re heavily based off personal testimony.
There’s limited research on the potential health benefits of wintergreen oil and its active ingredient, methyl salicylate. But what does the research tell us so far?
The benefits for pain are mixed
The research into wintergreen oil or methyl salicylate as a topical pain reliever has shown mixed results, although wintergreen oil has been suggested as a potential alternative treatment for easing lower back pain.Trusted Source
Times it worked
One 2010 study in adults with muscle strain found that application of a skin patch containing methyl salicylate and menthol provided a significant amount of pain relief compared to the placebo patch.Trusted Source
Additionally, a case study from 2012 found that topical application of methyl salicylate provided headache relief to an individual who had severe headaches following electroconvulsive therapy.Trusted Source
Times it didn’t
A review of several clinical trials of topical salicylates, one of which included methyl salicylate, didn’t find support for their use for musculoskeletal pain.Trusted Source The authors indicated that larger, better quality trials need to be performed to assess efficacy.
Wintergreen oil has worked against some bacteria
A 2017 study found that 0.5 percent wintergreen oil had a similar or higher antibacterial activity than a control antibiotic against persistent forms of Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease.Trusted Source
The antibacterial effect was diminished or absent at lower concentrations, however.
Other studies on Neisseria gonorrhoeae and a Streptococcus species observed no antibacterial activity for wintergreen oil.Trusted Source Trusted Source
Wintergreen oil works in dental products
In 2013, a subcommittee of the Food and Drug Administration reviewed methyl salicylate used in over-the-counter dental products that control plaque and gingivitis.Trusted Source Trusted Source Examples of such products include mouth rinses, mouthwashes, and sprays.
The subcommittee concluded that methyl salicylate used at a set concentration either by itself or combined with eucalyptol, menthol, and thymol is both safe and effective in these products.
Wintergreen oil should never be swallowed.