In short
Menthone is a monoterpene ketone and the second major constituent of peppermint oil after menthol. It has a fresh, minty and herbal odour without menthol's cold.
What Menthone smells like
Menthone is minty and woody: Takasago describes a minty-refreshing, diffusive odour of moderate tenacity with slightly woody-dry undertones; The Good Scents Company lists racemic menthone as minty, with a cooling, mentholic, minty and woody flavour; natural grades are herbal, minty, sweet and woody, or simply peppermint-like. The (-)-isomer is deep menthol, peppermint, herbal and camphor-like. The fruity note sometimes linked to it belongs to menthyl acetate.
- Leading note
- Minty
- Supporting facets
- Woody-dry, herbal
- Faint facets
- Camphoraceous
- Character
- Fresh, diffusive, dry
What makes Menthone distinctive
Mint's smell without menthol's cold: a diffusive, woody-dry minty note.
How Menthone is used
Used in mint, herbal and fresh compositions, in peppermint reconstructions, and in flavours.
Typical role: modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend).
How Menthone differs from similar materials
- Peppermint Oil
- Peppermint oil combines menthol's cold with menthone's minty, woody-dry note. (compared directly by a cited source)
- l-Menthol
- Menthol is mainly the cold sensation; menthone carries more mint smell, woody-dry, with less cooling.
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.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Aroma chemical
- Origin
- Occurs in nature
- Odour family
- Aromatic / Green
- Note position
- Top note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Liquid
- Also known as
- p-Menthan-3-one
- CAS number
- 89-80-5
- Molecular formula
- C10H18O
- Molecular weight
- 154.25 g/mol
- IUPAC name
- trans-(2S,5R)-5-methyl-2-propan-2-ylcyclohexan-1-one
The CAS number, formula and molecular weight are taken from PubChem compound 26447, 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 (1,816 reports): H412 harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effects (88.8% of reports); H226 flammable liquid and vapor (74.2% of reports); H315 causes skin irritation (14.6% of reports); H317 may cause an allergic skin reaction (14.2% of reports). 1 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
-
l-Menthol
Aroma chemical · Aromatic / Green — minty, cooling, fresh
-
Peppermint Oil
Essential oil · Aromatic / Green — minty, cooling, fresh, herbal
-
Isopulegol
Aroma chemical · Aromatic / Green — minty, cooling, herbal, woody
-
Eucalyptol
Aroma chemical · Aromatic / Green — camphoraceous, cool, medicinal
Menthone is also suggested as a partner on the pages for Cornmint Oil and Isomenthone.
Used in formulas and accords
Used in 2 published formulas
Menthone is an ingredient in 1 perfume formula and 1 accord in the Formula & Accord Library.
RUŌOD House Originals
Original compositions by RUŌOD House.
Further reading
Questions about Menthone
Is Menthone natural or synthetic?
The molecule occurs in nature. Commercial Menthone may be made by synthesis or obtained from natural sources, so check the supplier's specification if the distinction matters to you.
What is the CAS number of Menthone?
89-80-5. It was checked against PubChem on 19 October 2026.
Which published formulas use Menthone?
Menthone is used in 2 published formulas in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library: Frost Herb Accord and Glacier Bottle. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.
Sources
- PubChem — compound 26447, checked 19 October 2026.
- PubChem — GHS classification (the ECHA C&L Inventory notifications and any harmonised EU entry), read 26 October 2026.
- The Good Scents Company — menthone (with Takasago's description) — odour database.
- The Good Scents Company — mentholic 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.