- Latin name
- Mentha × piperita
- Family
- Mint family (Lamiaceae)
- Origin
- USA (Oregon, Washington), India
- Parts used
- leaves and stems
- Raw materials
- essential oil, menthol
- Extraction
- steam distillation
- Olfactory group
- aromatic (fresh, cold)
- Position in the pyramid
- top note
- Synthetic substitutes
- menthol, menthone
Peppermint is a natural hybrid of water mint and spearmint. It sets almost no seed, so it is propagated by rhizomes and cuttings. Peppermint is the coldest and most mentholated of all the mints.
How it smells: icy, sharp and invigorating: menthol, fresh greenery, a faintly sweet and herbal shade. Peppermint instantly refreshes a fragrance and gives it a wintry coolness.
Peppermint oil contains so much menthol that it can crystallise out in the cold. Menthol activates cold receptors, which is why we feel coolness even when it is not actually cold.
What it pairs with: with lavender and rosemary — fresh herbal compositions, with citrus — lively sporty fragrances, with chocolate — “mint chocolate”, with tea — fresh tea scents, with patchouli and tobacco — a modern contrast of fresh and warm.
Good to know: peppermint is one of the most common flavours in the world: its oil is in toothpastes, chewing gum and sweets, so in perfume it is used carefully so the fragrance does not recall toothpaste.
