Mentha Viridis Leaf Oil (Ingredient Explained + Products)

Oil is a hydrophobic (water-repelling) substance that can help regulate sebum production in skincare.

Essential oils are concentrated plant extracts used to give products a natural scent and sometimes offer plant-based benefits. They're a common source of fragrance-related irritation and allergic reactions, especially for sensitive or compromised skin.

May cause Irritation

Some ingredients have higher irritation potential, particularly for sensitive skin. Common reactions include redness, burning, or itching. If you have sensitive skin, patch test first and introduce these ingredients slowly into your routine.

Some ingredients are especially likely to irritate the thinner, more sensitive skin on the lips. Counter-irritants used in plumpers, fragrance allergens, and leave-on chemical exfoliants are common triggers. Reactions can include stinging, redness, dryness, or contact cheilitis. If your lips react easily, look for fragrance-free, occlusive balms without active acids or warming agents.

This ingredient is also called spearmint oil. It contains carvone (41-79%), limonene (10-22%), and small amounts of other monoterpenes depending on where it's grown.

In cosmetics, this ingredient mostly acts as a fragrancing/masking ingredient and mild astringent.

Lab studies show carvone to have antioxidant and antimicrobial activity, but it is a recognized fragrance allergen. Carvone is a mild skin sensitizer while limonene is a well-known one.

In a 21-year retrospective from a Swedish patch test clinic, 3.5% of patients tested positive for sensitive towards carvone.

What it does

Astringent Tending to draw together or constrict tissues; styptic. may unclog pores, remove excess oil, shrink appearance of pores, tighten skin, cleanse irritants from skin, reduce inflammation, reduce acne, provide anti-bacterial benefits

Masking Obscuring or blocking