In short
Savory oil is distilled from summer savory, Satureja hortensis. Rich in carvacrol, it has a warm, phenolic herbal odour close to thyme and oregano.
What Savory Oil smells like
Summer savory oil is golden yellow with a fresh, medicinal-spicy odour reminiscent of sage and thyme, in PROSEA's description; ChemicalBook gives a spicy odour reminiscent of thyme or origanum. Commercial savory oil is specified with carvacrol as its main constituent and negligible thymol. A GC-MS study of a related Satureja found carvacrol with cymene, linalool, caryophyllene oxide and gamma-terpinene.
- Leading note
- Medicinal-spicy herb
- Supporting facets
- Thyme-like, phenolic
- Faint facets
- Sage-like
- Character
- Fresh, warm, sharp
What makes Savory Oil distinctive
A carvacrol herb that reads between thyme and sage.
How Savory Oil is used
Used in traces in herbal and spicy compositions for a medicinal-spicy note between sage and thyme, as PROSEA describes it, and in flavours. With carvacrol as its main constituent, it overlaps with oregano oil but reads more thyme- and sage-like.
Typical role: modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend).
How Savory Oil differs from similar materials
- Oregano Oil
- Oregano was more carvacrol-heavy in one study; savory adds cymene and linalool, and reads more like thyme and sage. (compared directly by a cited source)
- Thyme Oil
- Thyme is thymol-led; savory is carvacrol-led, described as reminiscent of thyme and sage. (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
High in phenols, which can irritate skin; use at low levels.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Essential oil
- Origin
- Natural
- Odour family
- Aromatic / Spicy
- Note position
- Heart note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Liquid
- Also known as
- Summer savory oil
- Botanical source
- Satureja hortensis
- CAS number
- 8016-68-0
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
-
Carvacrol
Aroma chemical · Aromatic / Spicy — oregano, phenolic, herbal, spicy
-
Thyme Oil
Essential oil · Aromatic / Spicy — herbal, phenolic, medicinal, warm
-
Oregano Oil
Essential oil · Aromatic / Spicy — oregano, phenolic, herbal, spicy
-
gamma-Terpinene
Aroma chemical · Citrus / Aromatic — citrus, herbal, oily, lime
Used in formulas and accords
Not currently used in any published formula.
The Formula & Accord Library lists Savory Oil here as soon as a published formula, accord or base uses it.
Further reading
Questions about Savory Oil
Is Savory Oil natural or synthetic?
Savory 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 Savory Oil?
8016-68-0, 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 135300059, checked 19 October 2026.
- PROSEA (Pl@ntUse) — Satureja hortensis — published literature.
- ChemicalBook — savory oil (CAS 8016-68-0) — odour database.
- IJPER — Essential oil of oregano and savory — published literature.
- 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.