In short
Cornmint oil is distilled from Mentha arvensis. It is very rich in menthol and is the main natural source of menthol; it smells harsher and less sweet than peppermint.
What Cornmint Oil smells like
Cornmint (Mentha arvensis) oil smells very minty and menthol-like, somewhat similar to peppermint but often more potent, in AromaWeb's description; The Good Scents Company lists minty, peppermint, mentholic and herbal. Undementholised cornmint carries far more menthol than peppermint; dementholised cornmint is closer in menthol content, and AromaWeb warns it is sometimes passed off as peppermint. It is a lower-cost substitute in fragrance and soap.
- Leading note
- Mentholic mint
- Clear facets
- Peppermint
- Supporting facets
- Herbal
- Character
- Cold, strong, sharp
What makes Cornmint Oil distinctive
The economical mint: peppermint's character, often stronger and more menthol-heavy.
Where the descriptions disagree: Sources give different menthol levels for cornmint and dementholised cornmint.
How Cornmint Oil is used
Used as a lower-cost mint in fragrance, soap and functional products, and as a natural source of menthol.
Typical role: modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend).
How Cornmint Oil differs from similar materials
- Peppermint Oil
- Peppermint is the finer oil; cornmint smells similar but often stronger and more menthol-heavy, and is cheaper. (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
Often sold dementholised; the two grades smell different, so record which you use.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Essential oil
- Origin
- Natural
- Odour family
- Aromatic / Green
- Note position
- Top note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Liquid
- Also known as
- Mentha arvensis oil, Japanese mint oil
- Botanical source
- Mentha arvensis
- CAS number
- 68917-18-0
The CAS number was checked on 19 October 2026 against a PubChem substance record that gives it for this material. A natural material is a mixture, so it has no single formula; its composition varies with origin and processing.
Safety and compliance
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
-
l-Menthol
Aroma chemical · Aromatic / Green — minty, cooling, fresh
-
Peppermint Oil
Essential oil · Aromatic / Green — minty, cooling, fresh, herbal
-
Spearmint Oil
Essential oil · Aromatic / Green — minty, sweet, fresh, herbal
-
Menthone
Aroma chemical · Aromatic / Green — minty, fresh, herbal, cooling
Used in formulas and accords
Not currently used in any published formula.
The Formula & Accord Library lists Cornmint Oil here as soon as a published formula, accord or base uses it.
Further reading
Questions about Cornmint Oil
Is Cornmint Oil natural or synthetic?
Cornmint Oil is natural. It is a volatile oil obtained from plant material by steam distillation or, for citrus peels, by cold expression.
What is the CAS number of Cornmint Oil?
68917-18-0, the registry number for the essential oil as a substance rather than a single molecule. It was checked against PubChem on 19 October 2026.
Sources
- PubChem — substance 485474685, checked 19 October 2026.
- AromaWeb — Cornmint essential oil — published perfumery reference.
- The Good Scents Company — cornmint flavour category — odour database.
- Olfactory profile: the RUŌOD Lab team's synthesis of the published descriptions above, reviewed 21 October 2026. Evidence: more than one published description. Classification and the short description: revision 1. Descriptions of odour are judgement, not measurement.