Savory, Summer

Two savories are traded and the names are often swapped. Summer savory, Satureja hortensis, is an annual garden herb. Winter savory, Satureja montana, is a woody perennial of rocky hillsides. Both distil phenol-rich oils, but they are separate species and the label matters.

01 · Origin

A small annual of the mint family, Lamiaceae, native to the Mediterranean and south-eastern Europe and long grown as a culinary herb. This oil is distilled from the flowering plant, grown conventionally in Hungary.

02 · Chemistry

Carvacrol, a phenol, dominates. Para-cymene and gamma-terpinene follow. Gamma-terpinene is the plant's biosynthetic precursor to carvacrol, and the balance between them shifts with harvest timing. Alpha-terpinene completes the monoterpene fraction. Phenol-led oils are among the strongest on the skin and are handled at high dilution.

03 · In Practice

Hot, herbaceous and spicy, close to oregano with a sharper, drier edge. A top-to-middle note used in very small proportion. Diffusion and room blends, and dilute massage formulas where a warm herbal accent is wanted. Blends with rosemary, lemon, lavender, pine, thyme linalool and marjoram.

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.