Constituent · Monoterpene hydrocarbon
limonene
A bright citrus-peel monoterpene dominant in most citrus oils; oxidises easily, so citrus oils are best kept fresh and cool.
Essential oils richest in limonene
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange | 79.5% | 34.64%–91.16% | 98.51% | 40 |
| Tangerine | 67.61% | 51.91%–79.71% | 98.56% | 36 |
| Lemon | 59% | 49%–67.05% | 77% | 25 |
| Elemi | 53.7% | 53.7%–53.7% | 53.7% | 1 |
| Lime | 46.1% | 41.4%–49.32% | 81.92% | 37 |
| Petitgrain | 33.35% | 2.6%–85.93% | 95.3% | 9 |
| Bergamot | 23.63% | 14.3%–35.48% | 51.32% | 4 |
| Grapefruit | 23.02% | 2.61%–86.7% | 98.51% | 21 |
| Dill | 19.32% | 4.61%–22.91% | 64.21% | 35 |
| Black pepper | 17.34% | 11.74%–19.58% | 30.8% | 26 |
| Cajeput | 10.09% | 8.39%–11.8% | 13.5% | 2 |
| Cardamom | 8% | 2.25%–38.41% | 40.54% | 31 |
| Spearmint | 7.62% | 4.36%–9.2% | 39.8% | 38 |
| Blue tansy | 7.44% | 5.61%–9.27% | 11.1% | 2 |
| Juniper | 7.3% | 4.2%–15.55% | 32% | 31 |
| Melissa | 6.96% | 0.62%–7.41% | 7.6% | 18 |
| Frankincense | 6.92% | 5.14%–11.39% | 17.5% | 15 |
| Sacred frankincense | 6.09% | 4.63%–7.54% | 9% | 2 |
| Fennel | 5.18% | 2.98%–9.01% | 68.41% | 52 |
| Nutmeg | 4.07% | 0.53%–5.17% | 6.49% | 15 |
Oils in our library are linked above — open any profile for its full composition, safety panel and the research behind it.
Related constituents
Other monoterpene 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 →