Constituent · Oxygenated monoterpene
α-thujone
α-thujone is an oxygenated monoterpene (an alcohol, ester, oxide or ketone) — the group that carries much of an oil’s characteristic aroma and softer character. Across our dataset it was measured in 14 oils (125 samples), concentrating most in Sage, Yarrow, Carrot seed.
Essential oils richest in α-thujone
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sage | 25.26% | 13.67%–33.8% | 38.28% | 62 |
| Yarrow | 3.1% | 2.9%–7.6% | 12.1% | 3 |
| Carrot seed | 0.43% | 0.43%–0.43% | 0.43% | 1 |
| Myrtle | 0.31% | 0.31%–0.31% | 0.31% | 1 |
| Geranium | 0.3% | 0.27%–0.31% | 0.32% | 3 |
| Melissa | 0.29% | 0.27%–0.31% | 0.34% | 4 |
| Wormwood | 0.23% | 0.16%–1.01% | 29.02% | 13 |
| Peppermint | 0.14% | 0.14%–0.14% | 0.14% | 1 |
| Juniper | 0.11% | 0.06%–0.15% | 0.2% | 2 |
| Thyme | 0.11% | 0.1%–0.12% | 0.31% | 5 |
| Mountain savory | 0.1% | 0.06%–0.11% | 2.71% | 25 |
| Oregano | 0.1% | 0.09%–1.55% | 2.99% | 3 |
| Fennel | 0.03% | 0.03%–0.03% | 0.03% | 1 |
| Lemon | 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 oxygenated monoterpene 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 →