Mint, Spearmint (organic)

Spearmint is often described as a milder peppermint. The two differ at the level of chemistry. Peppermint is built on menthol. Spearmint is built on carvone, and contains little menthol, which is why it lacks the strong cooling note.

01 · Origin

Mentha spicata is a perennial of the mint family, Lamiaceae, native to Europe and western Asia and grown widely. This oil is distilled in India from the flowering plant, certified organic under DE-ÖKO-007.

02 · Chemistry

Carvone leads. The form in spearmint is R-(−)-carvone; its mirror image, S-(+)-carvone, gives caraway its odour. The same molecule in two orientations produces two distinct smells. Limonene, cis-dihydrocarvone and dihydrocarveol follow, with a small proportion of pulegone.

03 · In Practice

Sweet, green and minty, softer and rounder than peppermint. A top note. Diffusion, massage blends, bath preparations and natural perfumery. Comparative work alongside Mint, Peppermint, Mitcham (No. 2085) separates carvone from menthol by smell alone. Blends with lavender, basil, rosemary, lime, eucalyptus, jasmine and bergamot.

General information: For external use only. Dilute before applying to skin. Keep away from heat and sunlight. Keep out of reach of children. Avoid contact with eyes and mucous membranes.