Spearmint Oil
Spearmint oil is the essential oil obtained by steam distillation of the flowering aerial parts of Mentha spicata, and in some trade the closely related Scotch spearmint, Mentha gracilis. Its character is defined by R-carvone, which typically accounts for between fifty five and seventy five percent of the oil and carries the sweet, warm, unmistakably spearmint note, supported by limonene, dihydrocarvone, cineole and a set of minor esters that give the oil its lift.
The defining contrast with peppermint oil is the near absence of menthol. Spearmint gives sweetness and a rounded herbal impression with no cooling effect on the palate, which is why the two oils are not interchangeable in chewing gum or confectionery even though both are mints.
The oil is a mobile pale yellow to greenish yellow liquid with a specific gravity below that of water, practically insoluble in water and miscible with ethanol and vegetable oils. Carvone is prone to oxidation and polymerisation on exposure to air, light and heat, so the oil darkens and thickens over time and is stored cold in filled, sealed containers under nitrogen. For aqueous products the trade offers an emulsion, a spray dried encapsulate or a water-soluble folded fraction.
We source bulk Spearmint Oil from top China manufacturers for our partners. The manufacturers are in Anhui. A smaller requirement can ship in a combined container with other ingredients.
Please send the grade you need, the volume and your destination port, and we will come back with a solution and a price.
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Specifications
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Clear mobile pale yellow to greenish yellow liquid |
| Odour and Flavour | Characteristic sweet spearmint, free from off notes |
| Botanical Source | Mentha spicata flowering aerial parts |
| Carvone Content | 55.0% to 75.0% by gas chromatography |
| Limonene Content | 5.0% to 25.0% by gas chromatography |
| Specific Gravity (20 degrees Celsius) | 0.917 to 0.934 |
| Refractive Index (20 degrees Celsius) | 1.484 to 1.491 |
| Optical Rotation (20 degrees Celsius) | Minus 48 to minus 59 degrees |
| Solubility in 80% Ethanol | Soluble in 1 volume, clear solution |
| Acid Value | ≤ 1.5 mg KOH/g |
| Heavy Metals (as Pb) | ≤ 10 mg/kg |
| Lead | ≤ 2 mg/kg |
| Arsenic | ≤ 1 mg/kg |
| Pesticide Residues | Complies with destination market limits |
Common Markets Grades
Trade splits first by botanical type. Native spearmint from Mentha spicata and Scotch spearmint from Mentha gracilis have different minor component profiles and are quoted separately, with buyers specifying which is wanted. Origin is quoted alongside, since North American, Indian and Chinese material differ in carvone level and in the herbaceous background.
Beyond the crude distilled oil, redistilled and rectified grades are produced to remove colour, waxes and oxidised material, and terpeneless and folded grades are made by fractional distillation to concentrate the oxygenated fraction and improve water solubility and stability. Carvone itself is isolated as a separate article. Organic certified oil and oil sold against a declared carvone range are the two specification points buyers most often insist on.
Applications
- Chewing gum, the largest single outlet, where spearmint character is carried through extended chewing
- Toothpaste and mouthwash, giving sweet mint flavour without the strong cooling of menthol
- Confectionery, in mints, hard boiled sweets and pastilles
- Beverages, in mint flavoured teas, waters and mixers
- Bakery and dairy, in mint chocolate, ice cream and mint flavoured cream fillings
- Savoury applications, in lamb sauces, mint jellies and Middle Eastern and South Asian seasoning blends
- Chocolate confectionery, in after-dinner mint and mint fondant centres
- Oral care lozenges and breath strips, where the flavour must survive a fast dissolving matrix
- Personal care and household fragrance, in soaps, shower products and air care
- Source material for isolating natural R-carvone for use as a single flavour compound
Brands Using Spearmint Oil
Widely-distributed consumer products that list Spearmint Oil on the ingredient label.
- Edens GardenSpearmint Essential Oil ↗Single ingredient bottled spearmint essential oil sold undiluted in 10 ml and 30 ml sizes and batch tested by GC/MS.Label verified 2026-08-31
- Rocky Mountain OilsSpearmint Essential Oil ↗Single ingredient spearmint essential oil in the brands single oils range, third party GC/MS tested for adulterants.Label verified 2026-08-31
Brand names, product names and logos are the property of their owners. They appear here as published evidence that the ingredient is used, taken from the brand's own label or website. Their appearance is not an endorsement, and it does not mean the brand buys from us or from any manufacturer listed on this site.
China Manufacturers of Spearmint Oil
Top Spearmint Oil manufacturers in China.
Anhui Fengle Perfume Co., Ltd.4 ingredients in the directory
Anhui Tonghui Perfume Co., Ltd.8 ingredients in the directory
Company names and logos are the property of the manufacturers themselves. They are listed here because our own directory records them as producing this ingredient. A listing is not an endorsement by them, and we do not represent them or speak on their behalf.
Regulatory Status
In the United States 21 CFR 182.20 lists spearmint oil among the essential oils, oleoresins and natural extractives that are generally recognised as safe for their intended use in food, and it carries FEMA GRAS status as a flavouring substance. Products presenting it as a flavour ingredient are labelled as natural flavour, and use in oral care and cosmetic products falls under the separate cosmetic labelling rules.
In the European Union spearmint oil is a natural flavouring preparation under Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008 on flavourings, which sets the framework for its use and for the maximum levels of certain biologically active principles that may be present in flavourings from botanical sources. No E number applies, since flavourings are not additives. The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives has evaluated carvone and related terpenoid flavouring agents and publishes specifications for them, and Codex standards for foods that permit flavourings recognise natural essential oils of this type.
Manufacturing Process
The crop is grown as a perennial and cut once or twice a season, usually as the plants come into flower, when oil content and carvone level are highest. Cut herb is left to wilt in the field for a day or so to reduce moisture, then chopped and loaded into large distillation tubs that are hauled directly to the still.
Extraction is by steam distillation. Steam is passed through the packed herb, vaporising the volatile oil, and the mixed vapour is condensed and separated in a Florentine flask where the oil floats clear of the distillation water. Crude oil is decanted, dried over a desiccant or by settling, and filtered. Most commercial oil is then rectified by vacuum distillation to strip colour bodies, waxes and heavy oxidised material, and fractional distillation is used where a terpeneless or folded grade is wanted. Finished oil is analysed by gas chromatography against a reference profile, blended to a standard carvone specification, and filled into lined drums under nitrogen.
