Constituent · Monoterpene hydrocarbon
2-carene
2-carene is a light, volatile monoterpene hydrocarbon — the kind of fresh, often citrusy or piney top-note compound that evaporates fastest from an oil. Across our dataset it was measured in 10 oils (20 samples), concentrating most in Yarrow, Nutmeg, Oregano.
Essential oils richest in 2-carene
Measured relative composition (GC peak-area %) pooled across published GC-MS samples — median, typical range (middle 50%) and the maximum seen.
| Oil | Median | Typical range | Max | Samples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yarrow | 23.44% | 2.38%–24.05% | 24.26% | 5 |
| Nutmeg | 1.99% | 1.99%–1.99% | 1.99% | 1 |
| Oregano | 1.76% | 1.4%–2.12% | 2.48% | 2 |
| Lime | 0.89% | 0.89%–0.89% | 0.89% | 1 |
| Tangerine | 0.69% | 0.45%–1.03% | 3.54% | 5 |
| Eucalyptus globulus | 0.62% | 0.62%–0.62% | 0.62% | 1 |
| Black pepper | 0.25% | 0.16%–0.34% | 0.43% | 2 |
| Orange | 0.14% | 0.14%–0.14% | 0.14% | 1 |
| Basil | 0.13% | 0.13%–0.13% | 0.13% | 1 |
| Lavender | 0.01% | 0.01%–0.01% | 0.01% | 1 |
Oils in our library are linked above — open any profile for its full composition, safety panel and the research behind it.
Related constituents
Other monoterpene hydrocarbon compounds across the oils.
Figures are GC peak-area percentages pooled across published GC-MS samples, not concentrations, and describe chemistry — not health effects. How this is built →