Rubbing peppermint extract across the forehead can help a headache quicker than normal painkillers, so scientists have claimed.
In a recent study, 95% of users who applied the extract stated that they felt somewhat better in two minutes.
95% stated that their pain had disappeared within 30 minutes.
The peppermint painkiller is called 4head, is a stick applied directly to the skin .
90% stated that it is much easier than taking pills .
It has been known for centuries that peppermint contains properties that heal . Yet the benefits are now being scientifically tested on patients for the first time.
The peppermint painkiller, 4head, can be applied straight to the skin. The active ingredient, levo-menthol, is derived from the herb mentha piperita, black peppermint.
It is considered to relax local blood vessels, bringing about coldness or tingling, then it is followed by pain relief.
Britons spend £300m per annum on over the counter pain relief, most of it on headache remedies, as well as some on alternative therapies like Indian head massage .
4head is manufactured by Diomed, price £5.95 per stick. 20 people aged between 18 and 68 years participated in the trial of 4head, all of whom suffered two tense headaches per week.
95% of volunteers felt 4head's effects working within two minutes of of use.
