That's a new one, to use essential oil to get them to detach, but yeah, I agree with the article -- why wait for them to detach? It's just best to remove the little buggers with tweezers. Then if you want to put oil on it, you can, BUT essential oils like peppermint should
always be diluted in a carrier oil like almond oil. They're too strong to use directly on the skin.
To get rid of the pests, put them in a sealed bag or container, or just flush them down the toilet.
I hate to break it to these folks, but I have actually seen a tick walking up the toilet bowl BELOW THE WATERLINE after flushing.
I don't know if they have glue on their "feet" or what, but after that, we didn't bother with the toilet anymore. We put the little creeps on the kitchen sink (stainless steel) and burned 'em with a match.