Fresh · Natural material · Top notes, Heart notes
Mint
Mint is an oil distilled from the leaves of Mentha plants, mainly peppermint and spearmint. It smells cool and sharp like a mint sweet, with a green side from the leaves. Mint almost always goes in the top notes, so its cool effect is strongest at the start and then fades.
· Written by the FRAG team
What does mint smell like in perfume?
Mint smells cool, clear and sharp, like a mint sweet or toothpaste. Peppermint feels colder because it is rich in menthol. Spearmint is sweeter and greener, with a hint of chewing gum. Both can appear on a note list simply as mint.
On skin, the cool effect of mint fades quickly. What remains is a green, slightly herbal trace that blends with the other materials, such as lavender or citrus.
Peppermint, spearmint and where the oil comes from
Mint oil is steam distilled from the upper parts of the plant, the leaves and flowering tops. Peppermint (Mentha x piperita) is a natural cross between spearmint and watermint. Its oil is mostly menthol, which gives the cool effect.
Spearmint (Mentha spicata) contains almost no menthol. Its smell comes from carvone, a sweeter, greener molecule. Mint oil is produced in India, the United States, China and Morocco, among other places.
Mint's role in a perfume
Mint almost always sits in the top notes or in the move to the heart. It gives the cool, fresh effect you notice as soon as you spray. Because it evaporates fast, mint rarely lasts to the end, and the dry-down is carried by base materials such as woods or musk.
Common partners are bergamot, lime and grapefruit, then lavender, basil and green notes. Mint is used in many fresh and aromatic perfumes, and in men's perfumes with a cool opening.
Mint perfumes in hot weather
A perfume with mint suits hot, humid weather, daytime, light exercise or the morning after a shower. Its cool effect is clearest at the start, so a mint perfume works well when you want a fresh opening.
