Carvacrol

What Carvacrol smells like

Carvacrol, an isomer of thymol, is the phenol that dominates oregano and savory oils. A perfumery glossary describes it as more oregano-like than thymol, with a phenolic bite and a slightly medicinal character; another source gives a pungent, thymol-like odour with a fresh, slightly sharp phenolic sensation. Sources disagree on whether it is sharper or milder than thymol, and no controlled comparison was found. Fraterworks describes a pungent, dry-medicinal phenolic scent with warm herbaceous notes of oregano and thyme and spicy, camphoraceous undertones — thymol's unsweetened, uncompromising sibling — and uses it in herbal, spicy, medicinal, Mediterranean-herb and leather accords and in functional fragrance, where it is stable in alkaline bases such as soap.

Leading note

Oregano phenol

Supporting facets

Medicinal, spicy, pungent

Character

Sharp, pungent, warm

• oregano
• phenolic
• herbal
• spicy

What makes Carvacrol distinctive

Oregano's phenol: thymol's twin, but recognisably the pizza herb rather than thyme.

Where the descriptions disagree: Sources disagree on whether carvacrol or thymol is the sharper.

How Carvacrol is used

Fraterworks uses it in herbal, spicy, medicinal, Mediterranean-herb and leather accords, and in functional fragrance, where it is stable in alkaline bases such as soap. As the phenol that dominates oregano and savory oils, it gives those notes their warm, medicinal bite in traces, and it is also used in flavours.

Typical role: modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend).

How Carvacrol differs from similar materials

Thymol*

Thymol is the thyme phenol; carvacrol is the oregano phenol. Sources disagree on which is sharper. (compared directly by a cited source)

Oregano Oil*

Oregano oil is mostly carvacrol, with p-cymene and linalool. (compared directly by a cited source)

An asterisk marks a difference that a cited source states directly. The others compare the published descriptions of each material. Smell varies with grade, supplier and dilution; compare them side by side on blotters before substituting one for another.

Formulation considerations

Phenols can irritate skin; use at low levels.

Identity and classification

Type

Aroma chemical

Origin

Occurs in nature

Odour family

Aromatic / Spicy

Note position

Heart note

Physical form at room temperature

Liquid

Also known as

5-Isopropyl-2-methylphenol

CAS number

499-75-2

Molecular formula

C10H14O

Molecular weight

150.22 g/mol

IUPAC name

2-methyl-5-propan-2-ylphenol

The CAS number, formula and molecular weight are taken from PubChem compound 10364, whose own record lists this CAS number; checked 19 October 2026.

Safety and compliance

Hazard classification of the neat substance, as PubChem summarises it, read 26 October 2026. Companies notifying the ECHA C&L Inventory classify it (1,828 reports): H302 harmful if swallowed (99.8% of reports); H317 may cause an allergic skin reaction (91.5% of reports); H315 causes skin irritation (90.4% of reports); H319 causes serious eye irritation (90.2% of reports). 2 of the reports find it does not meet the hazard criteria. A skin sensitiser classification concerns handling the neat material and the dose in a finished product; the IFRA Standards, where they apply, set the limits. Unless it is harmonised, this is the notifiers' own classification, not a binding one.

This page is general information, not a safety assessment or a specification. Confirm identity, composition, IFRA status and allergen content from your supplier's documents for the lot you hold.

Materials it works with

• Thymol

  Aroma chemical · Aromatic / Spicy — thyme, medicinal, herbal, phenolic

• p-Cymene

  Aroma chemical · Citrus / Aromatic — citrus, herbal, woody, solvent-like

• Thyme Oil

  Essential oil · Aromatic / Spicy — herbal, phenolic, medicinal, warm

• gamma-Terpinene

  Aroma chemical · Citrus / Aromatic — citrus, herbal, oily, lime

Carvacrol is also suggested as a partner on the pages for Oregano Oil and Savory Oil.

Used in formulas and accords

Not currently used in any published formula.

The Formula & Accord Library lists Carvacrol here as soon as a published formula, accord or base uses it.

Further reading

• Aromatic Notes in Perfumery: Lavender, Sage, Rosemary and Mint

  The aromatic family for formulators: lavender, lavandin and spike, clary sage, rosemary, mint and basil — chemistry, chemotypes and EU allergen status.

Questions about Carvacrol

Sources

• PubChem — compound 10364, checked 19 October 2026.
• PubChem — GHS classification (the ECHA C&L Inventory notifications and any harmonised EU entry), read 26 October 2026.
• Premiere Peau — Carvacrol — published perfumery reference.
• IDW — Woher kommt das besondere Aroma von Thymian und Oregano (2021) — published literature.
• ChemicalBook — savory oil (CAS 8016-68-0), describing carvacrol — odour database.
• Fraterworks — Carvacrol — distributor's description.
• Olfactory profile: the RUŌOD Lab team's synthesis of the published descriptions above, reviewed 26 October 2026. Evidence: more than one published description. Classification and the short description: revision 1. Descriptions of odour are judgement, not measurement.