Constituent · Sesquiterpene hydrocarbon
α-selinene
α-selinene 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 22 oils (100 samples), concentrating most in Valerian, Manuka, Helichrysum.
Essential oils richest in α-selinene
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valerian | 7.32% | 7.32%–7.32% | 7.32% | 1 |
| Manuka | 5.56% | 3.83%–7.67% | 9.15% | 4 |
| Helichrysum | 4.7% | 3.38%–5.38% | 9.05% | 17 |
| Sacred frankincense | 2.4% | 2.4%–2.4% | 2.4% | 1 |
| Spikenard | 1.37% | 1.07%–2.3% | 12.72% | 20 |
| Tangerine | 1.06% | 0.64%–1.47% | 1.89% | 2 |
| Basil | 0.95% | 0.95%–0.95% | 0.95% | 1 |
| Peppermint | 0.8% | 0.8%–0.8% | 0.8% | 1 |
| Myrrh | 0.77% | 0.56%–0.99% | 1.2% | 2 |
| Black pepper | 0.59% | 0.44%–1.8% | 3.01% | 10 |
| Patchouli | 0.4% | 0.25%–1.45% | 2.5% | 3 |
| Clove | 0.33% | 0.32%–0.35% | 0.36% | 2 |
| Cardamom | 0.3% | 0.2%–0.75% | 1.19% | 3 |
| Pine | 0.3% | 0.3%–0.6% | 0.8% | 15 |
| Citronella | 0.24% | 0.14%–0.33% | 0.42% | 2 |
| Lemongrass | 0.24% | 0.24%–0.24% | 0.24% | 1 |
| Clary sage | 0.2% | 0.2%–0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
| Ravintsara | 0.2% | 0.18%–0.21% | 0.22% | 3 |
| Lime | 0.14% | 0.14%–0.14% | 0.14% | 1 |
| Petitgrain | 0.11% | 0.11%–0.11% | 0.11% | 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 →