GET TO KNOW YOUR OILS
Summer Savory
Satureja hortensis
Chemotype: gamma-terpinene / carvacrol type
- PLANT PART
- leaves and flowering tops
- EXTRACTION
- steam distillation
- 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
- 68 / 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
- 0.5%
- 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 furocoumarin restriction was identified in the reviewed public sources for steam-distilled summer savory oil.
Contraindications & cautions
- majorThis oil is a carvacrol chemotype at roughly 33% carvacrol; Tisserand and Young note that oils with 20% or more carvacrol/thymol combined can inhibit blood clotting, so use is discouraged with anticoagulant medication, hemophilia, other bleeding disorders, or before major surgery.
- moderateAs a high-carvacrol phenolic oil, summer savory should not be applied undiluted; skin and mucous membrane irritation is expected at higher concentrations, consistent with the low dermal ceilings (around 1%) set for carvacrol/thymol-rich oils.
- moderateSummer savory oil should not be used during pregnancy or lactation.
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 record uses the open Scientific Reports GC-MS profile for unheated Satureja hortensis essential oil as the quantitative anchor. That public profile is a gamma-terpinene and carvacrol chemotype with p-cymene and alpha-terpinolene as the next strongest markers, plus smaller pinene, caryophyllene, sabinene-hydrate, and limonene support. Identity and organoleptic details are cross-checked against a live summer savory supplier page.
| Constituent | Typical amount | Reported range | Chemical family | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| gamma-Terpinene | 42.3% | 42.3–42.3% | monoterpene hydrocarbon | View sourceChemical composition, antioxidant capacity, and thermal behavior of Satureja hortensis essential oil https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-78263-9 (Results lines 148-150: gamma-terpinene 42.30% in unheated SHEO) |
| Carvacrol | 32.83% | 32.83–32.83% | phenol | View sourceChemical composition, antioxidant capacity, and thermal behavior of Satureja hortensis essential oil https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-78263-9 (Results lines 148-150: carvacrol 32.83% in unheated SHEO) |
| para-Cymene | 8.05% | 8.05–8.05% | monoterpene hydrocarbon | View sourceChemical composition, antioxidant capacity, and thermal behavior of Satureja hortensis essential oil https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-78263-9 (Results lines 148-150: p-cymene 8.05% in unheated SHEO) |
| alpha-Terpinolene | 5% | 5–5% | monoterpene hydrocarbon | View sourceChemical composition, antioxidant capacity, and thermal behavior of Satureja hortensis essential oil https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-78263-9 (Results lines 148-150: alpha-terpinolene 5.00% in unheated SHEO) |
| beta-Pinene | 2.32% | 2.32–2.32% | monoterpene hydrocarbon | View sourceChemical composition, antioxidant capacity, and thermal behavior of Satureja hortensis essential oil https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-78263-9 (Results line 149: beta-pinene 2.32%) |
| beta-Caryophyllene | 2.22% | 2.22–2.22% | sesquiterpene hydrocarbon | View sourceChemical composition, antioxidant capacity, and thermal behavior of Satureja hortensis essential oil https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-78263-9 (Results line 149: caryophyllene 2.22%) |
| alpha-Thujene | 1.93% | 1.93–1.93% | monoterpene hydrocarbon | View sourceChemical composition, antioxidant capacity, and thermal behavior of Satureja hortensis essential oil https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-78263-9 (Results line 149: alpha-thujene 1.93%) |
| alpha-Pinene | 1.49% | 1.49–1.49% | monoterpene hydrocarbon | View sourceChemical composition, antioxidant capacity, and thermal behavior of Satureja hortensis essential oil https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-78263-9 (Results line 149: alpha-pinene 1.49%) |
| cis-Sabinene hydrate | 0.87% | 0.87–0.87% | monoterpene alcohol | View sourceChemical composition, antioxidant capacity, and thermal behavior of Satureja hortensis essential oil https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-78263-9 (Results line 149: cis-sabinene hydrate 0.87%) |
| Limonene | 0.77% | 0.77–0.77% | monoterpene hydrocarbon | View sourceChemical composition, antioxidant capacity, and thermal behavior of Satureja hortensis essential oil https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-78263-9 (Results line 149: limonene 0.77%) |
Profile source: Chemical composition, antioxidant capacity, and thermal behavior of Satureja hortensis essential oil; Summer Savory Essential Oil Organic - Satureja Hortensis; Aromatherapy Essential Oils Monograph · https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-78263-9 ; https://www.natureinbottle.com/product/summer_savory_hortensis_oil ; https://webprod.hc-sc.gc.ca/nhpid-bdipsn/atReq?atid=aromatherap&lang=eng
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 small amounts in warming, stimulating massage blends
- reported to support digestive comfort in traditional folk herbal use
- traditionally associated with a sense of vitality and energizing mood in diffusion
- used cautiously in topical blends due to its phenolic content
- shares the traditional warming reputation of other carvacrol/thyme-family oils
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 · 2 data gaps
Good decisions start with knowing what is — and isn't — in the evidence.
- Odor intensity 68 is an archive normalization based on Nature in Bottle's peppery-herbaceous aroma description and middle-note classification, not a native 0-100 lab metric.
- No public source reviewed in this pass published verified volatility-rate or tenacity-hour figures for this exact summer savory oil lot.