Constituent · Oxygenated monoterpene
menthol
The cooling alcohol behind peppermint; produces a genuine cold sensation on skin and is the reason peppermint is kept away from young children.
Essential oils richest in menthol
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lavandin | 73.8% | 73.8%–73.8% | 73.8% | 1 |
| Peppermint | 31.29% | 23.31%–36.39% | 55% | 34 |
| Pine | 27.56% | 27.56%–27.56% | 27.56% | 1 |
| Spearmint | 1.92% | 1.88%–1.97% | 2.02% | 2 |
| Mountain savory | 0.93% | 0.68%–1.5% | 2.11% | 24 |
| Dill | 0.42% | 0.42%–0.42% | 0.42% | 1 |
| Lemongrass | 0.27% | 0.2%–0.33% | 0.39% | 2 |
| Palmarosa | 0.24% | 0.24%–0.24% | 0.24% | 1 |
| Basil | 0.2% | 0.15%–0.25% | 0.3% | 2 |
| Geranium | 0.2% | 0.17%–10.8% | 20.57% | 11 |
| Sage | 0.08% | 0.08%–0.08% | 0.08% | 1 |
| Fennel | 0.07% | 0.07%–0.07% | 0.07% | 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 →