Constituent · Sesquiterpene hydrocarbon
β-elemene
β-elemene 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 46 oils (307 samples), concentrating most in Myrrh, Clary sage, Juniper.
Essential oils richest in β-elemene
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Myrrh | 5.8% | 3.39%–7.9% | 47.8% | 7 |
| Clary sage | 1.7% | 1.7%–1.7% | 1.7% | 1 |
| Juniper | 1.54% | 1.19%–7.75% | 13.7% | 12 |
| Copaiba | 1.51% | 1.24%–1.59% | 1.7% | 14 |
| Spikenard | 1.27% | 0.9%–1.31% | 2.9% | 17 |
| Patchouli | 1.24% | 1.21%–1.45% | 1.46% | 9 |
| Cedarwood | 1.17% | 1.13%–1.21% | 1.25% | 2 |
| Citronella | 1.17% | 0.68%–2.5% | 5.2% | 7 |
| Goldenrod | 1.13% | 0.96%–1.29% | 1.45% | 2 |
| Manuka | 1.03% | 1.02%–1.04% | 1.05% | 2 |
| Palmarosa | 1.03% | 1.03%–1.03% | 1.03% | 1 |
| Basil | 0.99% | 0.74%–1.86% | 5% | 82 |
| Peppermint | 0.74% | 0.54%–0.8% | 0.85% | 4 |
| Vitex | 0.67% | 0.67%–0.67% | 0.67% | 1 |
| Anise | 0.65% | 0.44%–0.92% | 3% | 7 |
| Spearmint | 0.54% | 0.33%–1.08% | 1.75% | 14 |
| Black pepper | 0.52% | 0.4%–1.25% | 1.9% | 10 |
| Cardamom | 0.5% | 0.5%–0.5% | 0.5% | 1 |
| Ylang ylang | 0.49% | 0.29%–0.59% | 0.68% | 3 |
| Frankincense | 0.46% | 0.13%–0.83% | 5.61% | 6 |
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 →