- Latin name
- Mentha × piperita (peppermint), Mentha spicata (spearmint)
- Family
- Mint family (Lamiaceae)
- Origin
- India, USA, China, Morocco
- Parts used
- leaves and stems
- Raw materials
- essential oil
- Extraction
- steam distillation
- Olfactory group
- aromatic (fresh)
- Position in the pyramid
- top note
- Synthetic substitutes
- menthol, carvone, menthone
Mint in perfumery is mainly two species: peppermint (Mentha × piperita) with a cold menthol smell and spearmint (Mentha spicata), which is softer and sweeter, like chewing gum. The oil is distilled from the leaves and stems.
How it smells: cool, green and lively: peppermint is icy and sharp, spearmint fresh, herbal and slightly sweet. Mint instantly refreshes a fragrance and adds “air” to it.
Peppermint contains menthol, which activates cold receptors — so we feel coolness even though the temperature does not change. In perfume mint is used with care: it is easy to overdo, and the fragrance starts to resemble toothpaste.
What it pairs with: with lime — a mojito, with lavender and rosemary — fresh herbal compositions, with tea — calming tea scents, with chocolate and vanilla — a gourmand “mint candy”, with patchouli and tobacco — a modern contrast of fresh and warm.
Good to know: India is today the world's largest producer of mint oils: it grows corn mint (Mentha arvensis), the source of most of the world's natural menthol.
Fragrances with Mint
