GET TO KNOW YOUR OILS
Wintergreen
Gaultheria procumbens
Chemotype: methyl salicylate chemotype (essentially single-constituent oil)
- PLANT PART
- leaves
- EXTRACTION
- water or steam distillation
- AROMA NOTE
- top
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
- 80 / 100
- Note layer
- top
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
- 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 major safety constraint is high methyl salicylate exposure.
Contraindications & cautions
- severeMethyl salicylate (96%+ of this oil) must be avoided in pregnancy; all salicylates, including methyl salicylate and aspirin, are teratogenic in sufficient amount.
- severeEssential Oil Safety (2nd ed.) recommends not using wintergreen (or sweet birch) oil in children of any age; historically there have been fatalities in very young children from ingesting wintergreen oil, and it is monitored by the Consumer Product Safety Commission with special packaging requirements.
- severeMust be absolutely avoided by anyone taking blood-thinning medication (e.g., warfarin, aspirin), since methyl salicylate potentiates anticoagulant drug action and can cause internal bruising or hemorrhage.
- severeOral ingestion is a documented poisoning hazard, with historical fatalities in young children who drank wintergreen oil; internal use is not appropriate outside of controlled professional dosing.
- moderateDermal use should be limited to a low maximum concentration given the near-single-constituent methyl salicylate content; guidance suggests not exceeding roughly 2.4-5% in leave-on dermal blends.
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 represents the standard Gaultheria procumbens wintergreen chemotype: effectively a methyl-salicylate oil with only trace secondary metabolites. Public reference sources agree that wintergreen oil is typically at least 96% methyl salicylate, and a directly read Nepal batch profile shows the expected near-single-constituent pattern.
| Constituent | Typical amount | Reported range | Chemical family | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Methyl salicylate | 99.4% | 96–99.5% | phenolic ester | View sourceWintergreen Essential Oil profile at AromaWeb; GC/MS BATCH NUMBER: W20100 https://www.aromaweb.com/essential-oils/wintergreen-essential-oil.php (major constituents, methyl salicylate 96.0-99.5%); https://funyu-store.b-cdn.net/report/Wintergreen-Organic-W20100.pdf (page 1, methyl salicylate 99.4%) |
| Ethyl salicylate | 0.1% | 0.1–0.1% | phenolic ester | View sourceGC/MS BATCH NUMBER: W20100 https://funyu-store.b-cdn.net/report/Wintergreen-Organic-W20100.pdf (page 1, ethyl salicylate 0.1%) |
| Linalool | 0.05% | 0.05–0.05% | monoterpene alcohol | View sourceGC/MS BATCH NUMBER: W20100 https://funyu-store.b-cdn.net/report/Wintergreen-Organic-W20100.pdf (page 1, linalool 0.05%) |
Profile source: Wintergreen Essential Oil profile at AromaWeb; GC/MS BATCH NUMBER: W20100 · https://www.aromaweb.com/essential-oils/wintergreen-essential-oil.php (Gaultheria procumbens; leaves; water or steam distillation; top note; strong aroma; dermal maximum 2.4%; methyl salicylate 96.0-99.5%); https://funyu-store.b-cdn.net/report/Wintergreen-Organic-W20100.pdf (Gaultheria procumbens, origin Nepal, leaf, page 1 key constituents)
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 sparingly in flavor and 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 · 1 data gaps
Good decisions start with knowing what is — and isn't — in the evidence.
- Odor intensity 80 is an archive normalization of AromaWeb's categorical 'Strong' aroma-strength band rather than a source-native 0-100 sensory measurement.