Constituent · Sesquiterpene hydrocarbon
α-guaiene
α-guaiene is a sesquiterpene hydrocarbon — a heavier, woody or spicy base-note compound that lingers longer than the light terpenes. Across our dataset it was measured in 24 oils (116 samples), concentrating most in Patchouli, Cardamom, Spikenard.
Essential oils richest in α-guaiene
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patchouli | 15.22% | 2.99%–15.8% | 18.9% | 17 |
| Cardamom | 4.1% | 4.1%–4.1% | 4.1% | 1 |
| Spikenard | 2.86% | 1.78%–3.02% | 5.5% | 24 |
| Melissa | 2.19% | 1.28%–3.09% | 4% | 2 |
| Manuka | 2% | 2%–2% | 2% | 1 |
| Ginger | 1.17% | 1.17%–1.17% | 1.17% | 1 |
| Helichrysum | 1.12% | 0.69%–1.55% | 1.98% | 2 |
| Geranium | 0.97% | 0.6%–1.17% | 1.44% | 6 |
| Rose | 0.9% | 0.78%–1.05% | 1.2% | 3 |
| Ylang ylang | 0.73% | 0.73%–0.73% | 0.73% | 1 |
| Basil | 0.6% | 0.46%–0.93% | 1.25% | 27 |
| Frankincense | 0.51% | 0.51%–0.51% | 0.51% | 1 |
| Cinnamon bark | 0.48% | 0.43%–0.5% | 0.52% | 8 |
| Ravintsara | 0.29% | 0.06%–0.5% | 0.89% | 5 |
| Black pepper | 0.23% | 0.19%–0.69% | 2.04% | 7 |
| Tea tree | 0.2% | 0.2%–0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
| Niaouli | 0.16% | 0.16%–0.16% | 0.16% | 1 |
| Lavender | 0.12% | 0.12%–0.12% | 0.12% | 1 |
| Myrtle | 0.11% | 0.11%–0.11% | 0.11% | 1 |
| Fennel | 0.1% | 0.1%–0.1% | 0.1% | 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 sesquiterpene 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 →