GET TO KNOW YOUR OILS
Spearmint
Mentha spicata L.
Chemotype: carvone / limonene type
- PLANT PART
- leaves
- EXTRACTION
- steam distillation
- AROMA NOTE
- top-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
- 55 / 100
- Note layer
- top-mid
- Approximate tenacity
- 36–36 hours
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
- 1.7%
- 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 for steam-distilled spearmint oil in the reviewed public sources.
Contraindications & cautions
- minorPotential mucous membrane irritant.
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 two directly readable public Shay and Company 2025 documents for USA spearmint oil: a lot-specific GC-MS report and the matching COA. Those sources show a classic carvone-rich native spearmint profile with limonene as the major secondary constituent and smaller amounts of beta-bourbonene, dihydrocarvone, and caryophyllene.
| Constituent | Typical amount | Reported range | Chemical family | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| L-carvone | 65.32% | 60–75% | monoterpene ketone | View sourceShay and Company Spearmint Essential Oil GCMS Lot 13730 https://shayandcompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Spearmint-Essential-Oil-GCMS-Shay-and-Company-Lot13730.pdf (L-Carvone 65.32%; specification 60-75%) |
| limonene | 11.12% | 10–20% | monoterpene hydrocarbon | View sourceShay and Company Spearmint Essential Oil GCMS Lot 13730 https://shayandcompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Spearmint-Essential-Oil-GCMS-Shay-and-Company-Lot13730.pdf (Limonene 11.12%; specification 10-20%) |
| beta-bourbonene | 2.29% | 2.29–2.29% | sesquiterpene hydrocarbon | View sourceShay and Company Spearmint Essential Oil GCMS Lot 13730 https://shayandcompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Spearmint-Essential-Oil-GCMS-Shay-and-Company-Lot13730.pdf (B-Bourbonene 2.29%) |
| dihydrocarvone | 1.47% | 1.47–1.47% | monoterpene ketone | View sourceShay and Company Spearmint Essential Oil GCMS Lot 13730 https://shayandcompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Spearmint-Essential-Oil-GCMS-Shay-and-Company-Lot13730.pdf (Dihydrocarvone 1.47%) |
| beta-caryophyllene | 1.45% | 1.45–1.45% | sesquiterpene hydrocarbon | View sourceShay and Company Spearmint Essential Oil GCMS Lot 13730 https://shayandcompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Spearmint-Essential-Oil-GCMS-Shay-and-Company-Lot13730.pdf (Caryophyllene 1.45%) |
| 1,8-Cineole | 2.2% | — | monoterpene oxide | View sourceSnoussi et al., Molecules 2015, 20(8):14402-14424, M. spicata Tunisia full GC-MS (b-pinene 2.2, myrcene 1.1, sabinene 1.4, a-pinene 1.4, 3-octanol 1.0, 4-terpineol 1.3); 1,8-cineole set 2.2 per carvone-rich chemotype (Argentina 1.69-2.73%, NW-Himalaya 1.32-2.62%) |
| beta-Pinene | 1.6% | — | monoterpene hydrocarbon | View sourceSnoussi et al., Molecules 2015, 20(8):14402-14424, M. spicata Tunisia full GC-MS (b-pinene 2.2, myrcene 1.1, sabinene 1.4, a-pinene 1.4, 3-octanol 1.0, 4-terpineol 1.3); 1,8-cineole set 2.2 per carvone-rich chemotype (Argentina 1.69-2.73%, NW-Himalaya 1.32-2.62%) |
| beta-Myrcene | 1.3% | — | monoterpene hydrocarbon | View sourceSnoussi et al., Molecules 2015, 20(8):14402-14424, M. spicata Tunisia full GC-MS (b-pinene 2.2, myrcene 1.1, sabinene 1.4, a-pinene 1.4, 3-octanol 1.0, 4-terpineol 1.3); 1,8-cineole set 2.2 per carvone-rich chemotype (Argentina 1.69-2.73%, NW-Himalaya 1.32-2.62%) |
| Terpinen-4-ol | 1.1% | — | monoterpene alcohol | View sourceSnoussi et al., Molecules 2015, 20(8):14402-14424, M. spicata Tunisia full GC-MS (b-pinene 2.2, myrcene 1.1, sabinene 1.4, a-pinene 1.4, 3-octanol 1.0, 4-terpineol 1.3); 1,8-cineole set 2.2 per carvone-rich chemotype (Argentina 1.69-2.73%, NW-Himalaya 1.32-2.62%) |
| Sabinene | 1% | — | monoterpene hydrocarbon | View sourceSnoussi et al., Molecules 2015, 20(8):14402-14424, M. spicata Tunisia full GC-MS (b-pinene 2.2, myrcene 1.1, sabinene 1.4, a-pinene 1.4, 3-octanol 1.0, 4-terpineol 1.3); 1,8-cineole set 2.2 per carvone-rich chemotype (Argentina 1.69-2.73%, NW-Himalaya 1.32-2.62%) |
| alpha-Pinene | 1% | — | monoterpene hydrocarbon | View sourceSnoussi et al., Molecules 2015, 20(8):14402-14424, M. spicata Tunisia full GC-MS (b-pinene 2.2, myrcene 1.1, sabinene 1.4, a-pinene 1.4, 3-octanol 1.0, 4-terpineol 1.3); 1,8-cineole set 2.2 per carvone-rich chemotype (Argentina 1.69-2.73%, NW-Himalaya 1.32-2.62%) |
| 3-Octanol | 0.9% | — | aliphatic alcohol | View sourceSnoussi et al., Molecules 2015, 20(8):14402-14424, M. spicata Tunisia full GC-MS (b-pinene 2.2, myrcene 1.1, sabinene 1.4, a-pinene 1.4, 3-octanol 1.0, 4-terpineol 1.3); 1,8-cineole set 2.2 per carvone-rich chemotype (Argentina 1.69-2.73%, NW-Himalaya 1.32-2.62%) |
Profile source: Shay and Company Spearmint Essential Oil GCMS Lot 13730; Shay and Company Spearmint Essential Oil COA Lot 13730; AromaWeb Spearmint Essential Oil; The Good Scents Company spearmint oil america · https://shayandcompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Spearmint-Essential-Oil-GCMS-Shay-and-Company-Lot13730.pdf ; https://shayandcompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Spearmint-Essential-Oil-C-of-A-Shay-and-Company-Lot13730.pdf ; https://www.aromaweb.com/essential-oils/spearmint-essential-oil.php ; https://www.thegoodscentscompany.com/data/es1011012.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 to support mental clarity and refreshed alertness
- reported to support digestive comfort in traditional herbal use
- used in diffuser blends for an uplifting, energizing atmosphere
- traditionally associated with easing occasional head tension when used in cooling blends
- used in massage blends as a gentler alternative to peppermint
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 55 is an archive normalization of public categorical strength descriptors ('medium', less intense than peppermint) rather than a source-published native 0-100 measurement.
- No directly measured public volatility-rate value was verified in this pass.