Wintergreen (China)

Gaultheria procumbens

Chemotype: methyl salicylate chemotype (essentially single-constituent oil)

crispfreshwoodysweetbirch-like

PLANT PART: leaves
EXTRACTION: water or steam distillation
AROMA NOTE: top

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What’s inside this oil?

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FOLLOW YOUR SENSES

Aroma & character

A closer look at this oil's scent, strength, and staying power.

crispfreshwoodysweetbirch-like

Aroma intensity: 80 / 100

Soft & subtleBold & expressive

Note layer: top

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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: 2.4%
Phototoxicity: Not flagged in this profile
Oxidation risk: low

A cited maximum is a limit, not a suggested dilution. Missing restrictions do not establish safety.

No furocoumarin-driven phototoxic restriction was identified in the reviewed public sources for wintergreen oil. The critical safety issue is systemic salicylate exposure from its methyl salicylate content.

Contraindications & cautions

severeBest avoided in pregnancy: wintergreen oil is ~99% methyl salicylate and salicylates are teratogenic in sufficient amount.
severeMust be avoided by anyone taking blood-thinning drugs (e.g. warfarin, aspirin): methyl salicylate potentiates anticoagulant action, risking internal bruising/hemorrhage.
majorAvoid in children of any age; historical fatal poisonings in children from ingestion of methyl salicylate-rich wintergreen/sweet birch oil are documented.
majorDermal use should not exceed roughly 5%; not for undiluted (neat) skin application given high methyl salicylate content and irritation/sensitization potential.
severeOral/ingested use is contraindicated: methyl salicylate is highly toxic if swallowed, with a narrow margin between therapeutic and lethal dose (historically implicated in fatal pediatric poisonings).

Read the complete safety guide

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THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE SCENT

Inside the oil

3 constituents

An oil's character comes from its natural chemical composition. Explore each constituent to understand the connections.

About this composition

This China batch is overwhelmingly methyl salicylate dominant. The directly read PhytoChemia GC profiling report shows 99.85% methyl salicylate with only trace-to-0.02% minor terpenes and salicylate markers, matching the standard wintergreen methyl-salicylate profile.

Constituent	Typical amount	Reported range	Chemical family	Source
Methyl salicylate	99.85%	99.85–99.85%	phenolic ester	View source CERTIFICATE OF ANALYSIS - GC PROFILING - Wintergreen - China - 129958-02 https://cdn.accentuate.io/1800381333563/1619829376074/Wintergreen---Gas-Chromatography--Mass-Spectrometry.pdf?v=0 (page 3, consolidated contents, methyl salicylate 99.85%)
Linalool	0.02%	0.02–0.02%	monoterpene alcohol	View source CERTIFICATE OF ANALYSIS - GC PROFILING - Wintergreen - China - 129958-02 https://cdn.accentuate.io/1800381333563/1619829376074/Wintergreen---Gas-Chromatography--Mass-Spectrometry.pdf?v=0 (page 3, consolidated contents, linalool 0.02%)
Ethyl salicylate	0.01%	0.01–0.01%	phenolic ester	View source CERTIFICATE OF ANALYSIS - GC PROFILING - Wintergreen - China - 129958-02 https://cdn.accentuate.io/1800381333563/1619829376074/Wintergreen---Gas-Chromatography--Mass-Spectrometry.pdf?v=0 (page 3, consolidated contents, ethyl salicylate 0.01%)

Profile source: CERTIFICATE OF ANALYSIS - GC PROFILING - Wintergreen - China - 129958-02; Wintergreen Essential Oil profile at AromaWeb · https://cdn.accentuate.io/1800381333563/1619829376074/Wintergreen---Gas-Chromatography--Mass-Spectrometry.pdf?v=0 (source Gaultheria procumbens; page 1 sample identification; page 3 composition); https://www.aromaweb.com/essential-oils/wintergreen-essential-oil.php (plant part leaves; water or steam distillation; perfumery note top; strength of initial aroma strong; dermal maximum 2.4%)

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 massage blends for muscle and joint comfort
reported to support easing of occasional exercise-related soreness
used in topical sports-care blends for its warming, penetrating sensation
traditionally associated with a minty-medicinal aroma valued in balms and liniments
used in confectionery-adjacent fragrance work for its distinctive wintergreen note

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.

No directly readable public China-specific safety monograph was located; the 2.4% dermal maximum is sourced from the general Wintergreen profile summarizing Tisserand and Young for wintergreen oil.
Odor intensity 80 is an archive normalization of AromaWeb's categorical 'Strong' aroma-strength band rather than a source-native 0-100 sensory measurement.