Thyme Essential Oil is used in some odour control toothpastes, anti dandruff shampoos and is gaining traction in disinfectant, sanitising and household cleaning products too. Like all essential oils, it can also be found on store shelves as a single ingredient product, bottled in amber glass.

Thyme Essential Oil is made by steam distillation of the leaves of the plant. An entire hectare of farmland is only able to produce 75-150 kg of thyme essential oil per year.

Thyme Essential Oil is comprised of mostly thymol and carvacrol but can contain other terpenes in higher concentrations too depending on the soil conditions and cultivar used. There are over 215 species of thymus with many hybrid varietals as well! Lemon thyme for example can contain up to 75% linalool.

Always perform a patch test first before using any essential oil and be sure to always perform the patch test using essential oil diluted in a carrier.

EU regulations specify that certain fragrance oils commonly found in natural essential oils must be labelled separately on ingredient lists on cosmetic product labels. The EU governing bodies specify this because they are recognised as potential allergens which can irritate sensitive skin. Thyme essential oil contains linalool in small amounts but in its concentrated form it can still be irritating to the skin.

Thyme Essential Oil destroys intestinal parasites but should never be taken internally.