Constituent · Oxygenated monoterpene
carvacrol
A hot, herbaceous phenol dominant in oregano and savory; strongly antimicrobial in the lab and very irritating neat.
Essential oils richest in carvacrol
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lemon eucalyptus | 54.63% | 54.63%–54.63% | 54.63% | 1 |
| Oregano | 26.5% | 4.9%–74.6% | 84.2% | 29 |
| Mountain savory | 25.53% | 19.58%–41.85% | 89.2% | 46 |
| Peppermint | 21.44% | 12.31%–30.57% | 39.7% | 2 |
| Marjoram | 9.46% | 3.18%–26.65% | 84% | 12 |
| Lemongrass | 8.64% | 6.71%–17.17% | 37.47% | 4 |
| Thyme | 4.9% | 3.23%–7.7% | 39.84% | 57 |
| Wormwood | 2.22% | 1.33%–3.11% | 4% | 2 |
| Helichrysum | 1.88% | 1.2%–2.15% | 2.41% | 3 |
| Rose | 1.4% | 1.4%–1.4% | 1.4% | 1 |
| Laurel | 1.14% | 0.58%–2.95% | 4.76% | 3 |
| Palmarosa | 1% | 1%–1% | 1% | 1 |
| Basil | 0.98% | 0.93%–1.26% | 1.7% | 7 |
| Goldenrod | 0.63% | 0.63%–0.63% | 0.63% | 1 |
| Melissa | 0.48% | 0.43%–0.75% | 1.69% | 6 |
| Fennel | 0.41% | 0.32%–0.77% | 1.8% | 4 |
| Cypress | 0.38% | 0.3%–0.4% | 0.41% | 4 |
| Dill | 0.32% | 0.15%–0.55% | 2.77% | 10 |
| Black pepper | 0.31% | 0.31%–0.31% | 0.31% | 1 |
| Sage | 0.27% | 0.17%–1.19% | 9.09% | 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 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 →