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Menthol

Q: Is Menthol natural or synthetic?

. Extraction: Natural menthol comes from corn mint oil; it is also made by synthesis..

GREENS, HERBS AND FOUGERES / fresh · citrus · green

Menthol

Category	GREENS, HERBS AND FOUGERES
Subcategory	fresh · citrus · green
Origin
Volatility	Top to heart note. On a blotter it lasts over a day.
Botanical	Mentha × piperita L. / Mentha arvensis L.
Appearance	colorless crystalline fused
Odor Strength	Medium
Producing Countries	China, India (natural). Germany, Japan (synthetic).
Pyramid	Top

The cold itself, bottled. Sharp, crystalline, nasal-clearing -- peppermint stripped to its molecular essence.

Scent
The Full Story
Fun Fact
Extraction & Chemistry
In Perfumery

Scent

Sharp, crystalline, and penetrating. The initial impact is cold and clean -- liquid wintergreen glass. Behind the cold sits a sweet, herbaceous mintiness that becomes more apparent as the cooling sensation fades. More piercing than spearmint, less sweet than wintergreen. At trace levels, it reads as 'freshness' rather than 'mint.'

Evolution over time

Immediately

Sharp crystalline cold, penetrating mint

After a few hours

Sweet herbaceous mintiness, cooling persists

After a few days

Faint cool trace, rapidly evaporating

The Full Story

Menthol (CAS 2216-51-5) is the primary constituent of peppermint oil (Mentha piperita), comprising 30-55% of the essential oil.

Natural menthol is extracted from corn mint (Mentha arvensis), primarily cultivated today in India and China; Brazil was a historical producer.

In perfumery, menthol is used sparingly. Its cooling effect is powerful but its minty character can overwhelm delicate compositions. It functions best as a trace modifier, adding a subliminal chill to aquatic, green, and aromatic accords without announcing itself as 'mint.'

Explore all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.

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Related: Apple Mint · Lesser Calamint · Mint · Spearmint

Did You Know?

Did you know?

The process for making synthetic menthol uses a chiral catalyst that was key to Ryoji Noyori's 2001 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. produces about 3,000 tonnes of menthol annually using this method -- about 10% of global supply.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method: Natural menthol comes from corn mint oil; it is also made by synthesis.

Molecular Formula	C10H20O
CAS Number	2216-51-5
Botanical Name	Mentha × piperita L. / Mentha arvensis L.
IFRA Status	No known restrictions
Synonyms	MINT CAMPHOR · PEPPERMINT CAMPHOR
Physical Properties
Odor Strength	Medium
Lasting Power	32 hours at 100.00%
Appearance	colorless crystalline fused
Boiling Point	212.00 to 216.00 °C. @ 760.00 mm Hg
Flash Point	200.00 °F. TCC ( 93.33 °C. )
Specific Gravity	1.01300 to 1.01400 @ 25.00 °C.
Refractive Index	1.45800 to 1.45800 @ 20.00 °C.
Melting Point	34.00 to 36.00 °C. @ 760.00 mm Hg

In Perfumery

Menthol functions as a trace modifier and cooling agent. Dosed up to about 8 percent in the fragrance concentrate; the skin level stays near 0.5 percent, adding coolness to fresh, aquatic, aromatic, and green compositions. At higher doses, it becomes overtly minty and can dominate. Also used in functional perfumery (oral care, deodorants, body sprays) where the cooling sensation is the primary effect. Found in fougere accords alongside lavender and coumarin.