Cornmint Essential Oil
Steam Distilled Cornmint Essential Oil can contain up to 80% menthol. However, most Cornmint Oil has been fractionated (dementholized) to remove a large percentage of the menthol. The resulting dementholized oil, therefore, is not commonly used within holistic aromatherapy. Peppermint Essential Oil is preferred for aromatherapy applications.
Within fragrancing and soapmaking applications, however, Cornmint can be a practical substitute for Peppermint Essential Oil due to its lower cost.
Cornmint Essential Oil is sometimes passed off as Peppermint Oil, so it is important to be careful of where you procure your oil.
Cornmint Essential Oil Benefits and Uses
It's potential applications are similar to those of Peppermint Oil. However, Peppermint Oil is generally preferred for holistic aromatherapy applications.
Botanical Name
Plant Family
Common Method of Extraction
Steam Distilled
Plant Part Typically Used
Color
Clear
Consistency
Thin
Perfumery Note
Top
Strength of Initial Aroma
Strong
Aromatic Description
Cornmint Essential Oil smells very minty and menthol-like in aroma. Depending on the source and level of dementholization, it can have a much more potent aroma than Peppermint Oil.
Sustainability and Conservation Status
Least Concern
Source: https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/64317970/67730082
To learn more about the conservation status of essential oil bearing plants and how to use the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, please refer to AromaWeb's Guide to Essential Oils and Sustainability.
Major Constituents
- Menthol
- Menthone
- Isomenthone
- Limonene
- Pinene
See Essential Oil Safety for a more complete list of typical constituents.
Source: K.H. Kubeczka, Essential Oils Analysis by Capillary Gas Chromatography and Carbon-13 NMR Spectoroscopy, Second Edition. (Chichester: Wiley, 2002). Source cited in Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young, Essential Oil Safety (Second Edition. United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2014), 261.
Cornmint Essential Oil Safety Information
Tisserand and Young indicate that it is contraindicated in instances of cardiac fibrillation and G6PD deficiency. They precaution against using it topically near the face of children and infants. Cornmint Oil may act as a choloretic. [Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young, Essential Oil Safety (Second Edition. United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2014), 261.]
General Safety Information
Do not take any oils internally and do not apply undiluted essential oils, absolutes, CO2s or other concentrated essences onto the skin without advanced essential oil knowledge or consultation from a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. For general dilution information, read AromaWeb's Guide to Diluting Essential Oils. If you are pregnant, epileptic, have liver damage, have cancer, or have any other medical problem, use oils only under the proper guidance of a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. Use extreme caution when using oils with children and be sure to first read the recommended dilution ratios for children. Consult a qualified aromatherapy practitioner before using oils with children, the elderly, if you have medical issues or are taking medications. Before using this or any essential oil, carefully read AromaWeb's Essential Oil Safety Information page. For in-depth information on oil safety issues, read Essential Oil Safety by Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young.
Shelf Life
Important Information About the Profiles
The essential oil information provided on AromaWeb is intended for basic educational purposes only. The references to safety information, test results, constituents and percentages is generalized information. Essential oils can vary greatly in composition. The data is not necessary complete and is not guaranteed to be accurate. The essential oil photos are intended to represent the typical and approximate color of each essential oil. However, essential oil composition and color can vary based on harvesting, distillation, age of the essential oil and other factors. Profiles for several CO2 Extracts and absolutes are included within the directory, and are denoted as such.
