In short
Wintergreen oil is distilled from the leaves of Gaultheria procumbens. It is almost entirely methyl salicylate and has the sweet, minty smell of liniments.
What Wintergreen Oil smells like
Wintergreen oil is around 96–99% methyl salicylate, so its odour is essentially that molecule's: sweet, sharp, minty and medicinal, warmer and sweeter than menthol and without its cold blast. One supplier of Nepalese Gaultheria fragrantissima oil describes a sweet, fruity top note and a smooth, woody dryout. A perfumery glossary notes that the smell is often called 'minty' through flavour conditioning, though it is not mint.
- Leading note
- Wintergreen
- Clear facets
- Medicinal
- Faint facets
- Sweet fruity top, woody dryout
- Character
- Sharp, sweet, penetrating
What makes Wintergreen Oil distinctive
It is natural methyl salicylate — the same wintergreen, with a slightly sweeter, fruitier top and a softer, woody finish.
How Wintergreen Oil is used
Used sparingly in fougère, green and forest compositions; its use is regulated because of methyl salicylate's toxicity.
Typical role: modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend).
How Wintergreen Oil differs from similar materials
- Methyl Salicylate
- The oil is around 96–99% methyl salicylate; it adds a slightly sweeter, fruitier top and a smooth, faintly woody dryout. (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
Methyl salicylate is toxic if swallowed in quantity; label and store with care.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Essential oil
- Origin
- Natural
- Odour family
- Aromatic
- Note position
- Top to heart note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Liquid
- Also known as
- Gaultheria oil
- Botanical source
- Gaultheria procumbens
- CAS number
- 68917-75-9
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
-
Methyl Salicylate
Aroma chemical · Aromatic / Floral — wintergreen, minty, sweet, medicinal
-
Lavender Oil
Essential oil · Aromatic / Floral — lavender, herbal, floral, fresh
-
Peppermint Oil
Essential oil · Aromatic / Green — minty, cooling, fresh, herbal
-
Tuberose Absolute
Absolute · Floral / Gourmand — white floral, creamy, narcotic, buttery
Used in formulas and accords
Not currently used in any published formula.
The Formula & Accord Library lists Wintergreen Oil here as soon as a published formula, accord or base uses it.
Further reading
Questions about Wintergreen Oil
Is Wintergreen Oil natural or synthetic?
Wintergreen 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 Wintergreen Oil?
68917-75-9, 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 126685014, checked 19 October 2026.
- AromaWeb — Wintergreen essential oil — published perfumery reference.
- Eden Botanicals — Wintergreen, organic — distributor's description.
- Premiere Peau — Wintergreen — published perfumery reference.
- Olfactory profile: the RUŌOD Lab team's synthesis of the published descriptions above, reviewed 20 October 2026. Evidence: more than one published description. Classification and the short description: revision 1. Descriptions of odour are judgement, not measurement.