In short
Thyme oil is distilled from Thymus vulgaris. It gives a warm, herbal, phenolic note.
What Thyme Oil smells like
Red thyme oil is thymol-driven: a fragrance database calls it bold, herbaceous and slightly medicinal; a supplier describes an intensely warm, powerfully spicy-phenolic opening with a subtle camphoraceous lift; a glossary likens it to iodine mixed with dried herbs. The Good Scents Company lists a Spanish oil as herbal, spicy, phenolic, camphoraceous, medicinal, aromatic and terpenic. Red thyme is the first distillate; white thyme is redistilled and gentler.
- Leading note
- Warm phenolic thyme
- Clear facets
- Medicinal
- Supporting facets
- Spicy
- Faint facets
- Camphoraceous
- Character
- Warm, hot, powerful
What makes Thyme Oil distinctive
Thymol's hot, iodine-like herb: the most phenolic of the kitchen herbs.
How Thyme Oil is used
Used as a top-to-heart note in aromatic, fougère, chypre and woody compositions, and in flavours.
Typical role: modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend).
How Thyme Oil differs from similar materials
- Thymol
- Thymol is the oil's main odorant alone; the oil adds camphoraceous and terpenic notes from p-cymene and gamma-terpinene. (compared directly by a cited source)
- Oregano Oil
- Oregano is carvacrol-led; thyme is thymol-led. Both are phenolic and herbal. (compared directly by a cited source)
- Savory Oil
- Savory, carvacrol-rich, is described as medicinal-spicy and 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
Thymol-type oils are skin irritants at higher levels; chemotypes differ widely.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Essential oil
- Origin
- Natural
- Odour family
- Aromatic / Spicy
- Note position
- Top to heart note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Liquid
- Botanical source
- Thymus vulgaris L.
- CAS number
- 8007-46-3
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
-
Rosemary Oil
Essential oil · Aromatic / Woody — herbal, camphoraceous, fresh, woody
-
Lavender Oil
Essential oil · Aromatic / Floral — lavender, herbal, floral, fresh
-
Thymol
Aroma chemical · Aromatic / Spicy — thyme, medicinal, herbal, phenolic
Thyme Oil is also suggested as a partner on the pages for Carvacrol, Oregano Oil, Savory Oil and Sweet Marjoram Oil.
Used in formulas and accords
Used in 1 published formula
Thyme Oil is an ingredient in 1 perfume formula in the Formula & Accord Library.
RUŌOD House Originals
Original compositions by RUŌOD House.
Further reading
Questions about Thyme Oil
Is Thyme Oil natural or synthetic?
Thyme 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 Thyme Oil?
8007-46-3, the registry number for the essential oil as a substance rather than a single molecule. It was checked against PubChem on 19 October 2026.
Which published formulas use Thyme Oil?
Thyme Oil is used in 1 published formula in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library: Thyme Cliff. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.
Sources
- PubChem — substance 439396711, checked 19 October 2026.
- Fraterworks — red thyme oil — distributor's description.
- Premiere Peau — Thyme — published perfumery reference.
- The Good Scents Company — thyme oil — 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.