Peppermint oil
None of the restricted materials in IFRA's annex limits this oil in rinse-off soap.
IFRA maximum for soap
no IFRA limit in soap
Restricted constituents, at the typical levels IFRA's annex gives:
- Carvone
- 0.1 %
- cis-3-Hexenyl isovalerate
- 0.1 %
Worked out from typical levels. A supplier's certificate for your lot comes first, and its figure is the one to follow.
Check a blend against its IFRA limits and list its allergens in the fragrance and allergen calculator.
How essential oils behave in soap, and how much to use: Scenting soap.
Identity and labelling
Mentha Piperita Oil
- Botanical name
- Mentha × piperita
- CAS
- 8006-90-4, 84082-70-2
- EC
- 282-015-4
The EU names this oil itself as a fragrance allergen (Regulation (EU) 2023/1545, Annex III entry 361): it goes on the label by name above 0.01 % in a rinse-off product.
What it is and how it behaves in soap
Peppermint oil is steam-distilled from the aerial parts of Mentha × piperita (ISO 856). The United States and India were the largest suppliers to Europe in 2017 (CBI), and in the United States it is grown mainly in Idaho, Washington and Oregon (USDA). It is mostly menthol and smells cool, sharp and sweet.
It behaves well in cold process (Faiola) and is one of the most popular soap scents. It is strong: Fisher uses less of it than of most scents, and Grosso warns that its tingle survives saponification, so use it in moderation. Cable's recipes run from 0.7 to 3.1 % of the oils; Faiola and Corley Barto use a twice-distilled grade at 0.8 to 2.1 %. The IFRA figure on this page is the ceiling.
Peppermint is often cut with cheaper cornmint, Mentha arvensis (Miloua and colleagues). Cable advises against it for young children.
Recipes that use it
Sources
- CosIng, the cosmetic ingredient database: MENTHA PIPERITA OIL, European Commission
- Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 amending Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 as regards labelling of fragrance allergens in cosmetic products, European Commission. Annex, entry 361
- ISO 856:2006, Oil of peppermint (Mentha × piperita L.), International Organization for Standardization (2006). Steam distillation of the aerial parts of the plant
- Exporting essential oils for fragrances to Europe, CBI, Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2019). The United States (38 %) and India (31 %) the largest suppliers of peppermint oil to Europe in 2017
- Crop production, Northwest region, 2024 (press release), USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (2025). Peppermint oil production in Idaho, Washington and Oregon
- W. H. Simmons and H. A. Appleton, The Handbook of Soap Manufacture, Scott, Greenwood & Son (1908). Peppermint oils are mostly menthol
- Anne-Marie Faiola, Soap Crafting, Storey Publishing (2013). Peppermint among the essential oils that are typically wonderful in cold process soap
- David Fisher, The Complete Photo Guide to Soap Making, Creative Publishing International (2018). Strong scents such as peppermint might need less; use mints sparingly
- Alicia Grosso, The Everything Soapmaking Book, 3rd edition, Adams Media (2013). Use peppermint in moderation: it can remain tingly after lye soapmaking
- Kelly Cable, The Natural Soap Making Book for Beginners, Althea Press (2017). Peppermint at 0.7 to 3.1 % of the oils; not for small children
- Anne-Marie Faiola, Pure Soapmaking, Storey Publishing (2016). Peppermint 2nd distilled at 0.8 to 2.1 % of the oils
- Heidi Corley Barto, The Natural Soap Chef, Ulysses Press (2012). Peppermint 2nd distill at 1.6 % of the oils
- Miloua and colleagues, Adulterant detection in peppermint oil by means of holographic photopolymers based on composite materials with liquid crystal, Polymers 14, MDPI (2022). Peppermint oil is usually adulterated with a cheaper oil such as cornmint (Mentha arvensis)