GET TO KNOW YOUR OILS
Mugwort / Armoise
Artemisia vulgaris L.
Chemotype: compositionally variable; thujone-, cineole-, germacrene D-, and chrysanthenyl acetate-rich profiles are reported
- PLANT PART
- aerial parts
- EXTRACTION
- hydrodistillation
- AROMA NOTE
- mid
LEARN AS YOU COMPARE
What’s inside this oil?
Constituents are the natural chemicals that give an oil its character. See the main ones, learn what they do, and explore differences between batches.
Meet the main constituents, then select one to see what makes it interesting.
FOLLOW YOUR SENSES
Aroma & character
A closer look at this oil's scent, strength, and staying power.
- Aroma intensity
- 85 / 100
- Note layer
- mid
If you like this scent, explore
A LITTLE CARE GOES A LONG WAY
Using it thoughtfully
Read the full safety context before bringing this oil into your routine.
- Cited dermal maximum · leave-on
- 0.64%
- Phototoxicity
- Not flagged in this profile
- Oxidation risk
- medium
A cited maximum is a limit, not a suggested dilution. Missing restrictions do not establish safety.
No phototoxic restriction was identified in the public sources reviewed for Artemisia vulgaris oil.
Contraindications & cautions
- majorThujone-containing herbal preparations can produce central nervous system toxicity with convulsive risk at excessive exposure.
- moderateUse should be minimized in pregnancy because the reviewed safety literature treats thujone exposure as a population-specific concern.
Explore measured chemistry from supplier batches
A supplier report describes a particular sample. Open this workspace to investigate measured constituents and their original documents.
THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE SCENT
Inside the oil
An oil's character comes from its natural chemical composition. Explore each constituent to understand the connections.
About this composition
This profile is anchored to a directly readable North Lithuania mugwort survey covering seven hydrodistilled aerial-part oils. The paper shows large inter-sample spread rather than one fixed chemotype, with different samples dominated by trans-thujone, cis-thujone, 1,8-cineole, germacrene D, or chrysanthenyl acetate.
| Constituent | Typical amount | Reported range | Chemical family | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| trans-thujone | 20.2% | 0–20.2% | monoterpene ketone | View sourceChemical composition of essential oils of Artemisia vulgaris L. (mugwort) from North Lithuania table, trans-thujone row, https://mokslozurnalai.lmaleidykla.lt/publ/0235-7216/2006/1/Che_012_015.pdf |
| cis-thujone | 12.9% | 0–12.9% | monoterpene ketone | View sourceChemical composition of essential oils of Artemisia vulgaris L. (mugwort) from North Lithuania table, cis-thujone row, https://mokslozurnalai.lmaleidykla.lt/publ/0235-7216/2006/1/Che_012_015.pdf |
| 1,8-cineole | 17.6% | 2.6–17.6% | monoterpene oxide | View sourceChemical composition of essential oils of Artemisia vulgaris L. (mugwort) from North Lithuania table, 1,8-cineole row, https://mokslozurnalai.lmaleidykla.lt/publ/0235-7216/2006/1/Che_012_015.pdf |
| germacrene D | 15.1% | 5.3–15.1% | sesquiterpene hydrocarbon | View sourceChemical composition of essential oils of Artemisia vulgaris L. (mugwort) from North Lithuania table, germacrene D row, https://mokslozurnalai.lmaleidykla.lt/publ/0235-7216/2006/1/Che_012_015.pdf |
| chrysanthenyl acetate | 23.6% | 0–23.6% | monoterpene ester | View sourceChemical composition of essential oils of Artemisia vulgaris L. (mugwort) from North Lithuania table, chrysanthenyl acetate row, https://mokslozurnalai.lmaleidykla.lt/publ/0235-7216/2006/1/Che_012_015.pdf |
| camphor | 7.4% | 0–7.4% | monoterpene ketone | View sourceChemical composition of essential oils of Artemisia vulgaris L. (mugwort) from North Lithuania table, camphor row, https://mokslozurnalai.lmaleidykla.lt/publ/0235-7216/2006/1/Che_012_015.pdf |
| beta-pinene | 12.9% | 0.1–12.9% | monoterpene hydrocarbon | View sourceChemical composition of essential oils of Artemisia vulgaris L. (mugwort) from North Lithuania table, beta-pinene row, https://mokslozurnalai.lmaleidykla.lt/publ/0235-7216/2006/1/Che_012_015.pdf |
Profile source: Chemical composition of essential oils of Artemisia vulgaris L. (mugwort) from North Lithuania; Mugwort Essential Oil IFRA Certificate of Conformity; armoise oil entry at The Good Scents Company · https://mokslozurnalai.lmaleidykla.lt/publ/0235-7216/2006/1/Che_012_015.pdf ; https://www.avenalab.com/images/001SDS/Alergeni/Mugwort_Essential_Oil_IFRA_COC.pdf ; https://www.thegoodscentscompany.com/data/es1024711.html
A TRADITION OF BOTANICAL CURIOSITY
Traditional & reported uses
These uses reflect the profile's reported traditions and literature. They are not established treatment recommendations.
- traditionally used in aromatherapy and ritual practice for grounding, introspective effects
- reported to be associated with vivid dreaming in traditional folk use, though composition-dependent
- used in perfumery sparingly for its bitter, herbaceous, camphoraceous facet
- traditionally associated with cleansing and purifying rituals in various folk traditions
- used with caution in blends due to its potent, variable chemotype profile
For aromatherapy and wellness use only — not medical advice. Effect statements are traditional/reported associations, not treatment claims. The Synergy Rating scores blend craft, harmony and safety, not medical efficacy. Read the safety framework.
What we're still learning · 3 data gaps
Good decisions start with knowing what is — and isn't — in the evidence.
- The oil-level `max_dermal_pct` of 0.64 is anchored to the public IFRA Category 5A limit in the Avena Lab certificate rather than to a directly readable aromatherapy leave-on monograph for mugwort oil.
- No public source reviewed in this pass published mugwort odor intensity on a native 0-100 scale; 85 is an archive normalization from live qualitative wording describing armoise as having real power, strength, and long-lasting depth.
- No source-backed volatility-rate or tenacity-hour figures were located.