Piperitone (CAS 89-82-7) — Minty Top Note Fragrance Ingredient
Piperitone
CAS 89-82-7
What Is Piperitone?
Piperitone is a minty-scented compound found naturally in essential oils like peppermint and eucalyptus. People encounter it in mint-flavored products, herbal remedies, and some perfumes. This ingredient matters because it adds a crisp, cooling effect to fragrances and flavorings, making it popular in products designed to feel refreshing or invigorating.
Safety Profile
GENERALLY SAFEWhat Does Piperitone Smell Like?
Piperitone bursts forth with a sharp, herbaceous mintiness reminiscent of crushed peppermint leaves. The opening is brisk and slightly medicinal, like a wintergreen lozenge, evolving into a cleaner, more subdued herbal heart. The dry-down retains a faintly sweet, camphoraceous whisper, leaving a cooling sensation on the skin. Its character is more austere than menthol, with a dry, almost woody undertone that prevents it from becoming cloying.
Scent Profile
In Famous Fragrances
Fragrance associations may not reflect actual formulations.
Piperitone provides the crisp mint backbone that contrasts with earthy patchouli, creating a modern herbal chypre with cooling freshness.
Used alongside synthetic moss notes to amplify the naturalistic mint effect while adding structural rigidity to the green accord.
Piperitone reinforces the ozonic marine notes with its cooling properties, enhancing the fragrance’s ‘fresh splash’ concept.
Provides the authentic mint leaf character that grounds this herbal composition, blending with clary sage and wild grasses.
Piperitone’s dry mint quality prevents the composition from becoming toothpaste-like, adding sophistication to the mint theme.
2D Molecular Structure
SMILES: C[C@@H]1CCC(=C(C)C)C(=O)C1
Chemistry, Properties & Perfumer Guide
The Chemistry
Piperitone is a monocyclic monoterpenoid ketone found in various mint species (Mentha) and eucalyptus oils. Its structure features a p-menthane skeleton with a ketone group at the 3-position. Natural extraction typically involves steam distillation of peppermint or cornmint oils, where it occurs as a minor component alongside menthol and menthone. Synthetic routes may involve oxidation of piperitone’s alcohol counterpart or isomerization of related terpenes. The molecule exists as two stereoisomers due to its chiral center at C4, with the (-)-isomer being more common in nature and generally preferred for its cleaner odor profile.
Physical & Chemical Properties
| Boiling Point | ~210 °C (est.) |
|---|---|
| Density | ~0.91 g/cm³ (est.) |
| Appearance | Colorless to pale yellow liquid |
Perfumer Guide
| Application | Typical % | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fine Fragrance | 0.5-2% | Up to 5% | Adds cooling mint accent |
| Functional Fragrance | 1-3% | Up to 8% | For oral care products |
| Flavoring | 0.1-0.5% | Up to 1% | Mint flavor enhancer |
| Aromatherapy | 2-5% | Up to 10% | Inhalation blends |
Classic Accords
Tip: Use with citrus top notes to enhance freshness without overpowering the composition.
Alternatives & Comparisons
For stronger cooling effect but more medicinal character.
When a sweeter, spearmint-like quality is desired.
For softer mint effect with less sharpness.
Safety, Regulatory & Sustainability
⚠ Regulatory Disclaimer
General reference only. IFRA, REACH, EU Cosmetics Regulation standards update periodically. Consult current IFRA Standards Library before formulating. Not legal or regulatory advice.
IFRA Status
No IFRA restrictions apply to piperitone under current guidelines (Amendment 49).
EU Allergen Declaration
Not listed as an EU allergen.
GHS Classification
RIFM Assessment
RIFM considers piperitone safe at current use levels based on existing data.
Sustainability
Piperitone is typically sourced as a byproduct of menthol production from peppermint oil, making its extraction relatively sustainable. Synthetic production exists but is less common due to the availability of natural sources. The environmental impact depends on agricultural practices for mint cultivation, with organic farming being preferable to minimize pesticide runoff.
Explore Piperitone
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References
- PubChem Compound Summary for Piperitone PubChem
- ISO 856:2006 Oil of peppermint
- Burdock, G.A. (2010). Fenaroli’s Handbook of Flavor Ingredients. CRC Press.
Data: PubChem (NIH), PubMed, RIFM, IFRA. Last reviewed: Mar 2026.
Report a data errorIngredient Data Sheet
CAS 89-82-7Physical Properties
| Molecular Weight | 152.23 g/mol🔬 PubChem |
| LogP (Octanol-Water) | 2.8🔬 PubChem |
| Boiling Point | 224 °C🔬 EPA CompTox |
| Vapor Pressure | 138 mmHg @ 25°C📊 OPERA |
| Involatility Index | 12.0547💻 Calculated |
| log Kp (skin permeability) | -1.641💻 Calculated |
| SMILES | CC1CCC(=C(C)C)C(=O)C1🔬 PubChem |
Volatility & Performance
| Fragrance Note | Heart💻 Calculated |
| Volatility Class | Very fast💻 Calculated |
| Persistence Score | 0.5 / 5💻 Calculated |
Odor & Flavor
| Primary Descriptors | herbalminty• leffingwell |
| Functional Groups | ketonealkene💻 RDKit |
| “Powerful and relatively diffusive, herbaceous-minty, resinous odor. The material isolated from Pennyroyal oil (practically all commercial Pulegone is manufactured by that isolation method) may carry more or less of a weedy-bitter note which is not typical of the ketone itself. A highly purified Pulegone is rather sweet, although it does have a weedy-minty character.”📖 Arctander | |
| Pulegone has a pleasant odor, somewhat similar to peppermint and camphor.📖 Fenaroli | |
Flavor Notes (Arctander)
| “The title ketone is occasionally used in flavor compositions, mainly as a modifier in Peppermint flavors - to add "spicy notes" and power. The concentration normally used is equivalent to 5 to 30 ppm in the finished product.”📖 Arctander |
Sensory Thresholds
| Odor Detection Threshold | 0.0178 ppm (n=5)📖 van Gemert |
Regulatory Status
| EU Annex III | Listed (restricted)⚖️ IFRA 51 |
| FEMA Number | FEMA 2963⚖️ FEMA GRAS |
| GRAS Status | Generally Recognized as Safe⚖️ FEMA GRAS |
Physical data: PubChem (NIH/NLM), U.S. EPA CompTox Dashboard, EPA OPERA models, RDKit. Odor & flavor: Arctander (Perfume & Flavor Chemicals), Fenaroli's Handbook of Flavor Ingredients, Leffingwell. Thresholds: van Gemert (Compilations of Odour Threshold Values). Regulatory: IFRA Standards 51st, FEMA GRAS. Trade names: Surburg (Common Fragrance & Flavor Materials). All data compiled and cross-referenced for perfumertools.com.
Physicochemical Properties
DTXSID: DTXSID2025975
Physical Properties
| Molecular Weight | 152.237 g/mol🔬 EPA CompTox |
| Density | 0.946 g/cm^3📊 OPERA |
| Boiling Point | 224 °C🔬 EPA CTX |
| Melting Point | 26.054 °C📊 OPERA |
| Flash Point | 84.06 °C📊 OPERA |
| Refractive Index | 1.47 Dimensionless📊 OPERA |
| Molar Volume | 164.828 cm^3/mol📊 OPERA |
Partition & Solubility
| LogP (Octanol-Water) | 3.08 Log10 unitless🔬 EPA CTX |
| LogD (pH 5.5) | 3.099 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| LogD (pH 7.4) | 3.099 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| LogKoa (Octanol-Air) | 5.08 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| Water Solubility | 0.007 mol/L📊 OPERA |
| Henry's Law Constant | 0 atm-m3/mole🔬 EPA CTX |
Transport Properties
| Vapor Pressure | 0.123 mmHg🔬 EPA CTX |
| Surface Tension | 31.624 dyn/cm📊 OPERA |
Molecular Descriptors
| Topological Polar Surface Area | 17.07 Ų💻 Computed |
| H-Bond Donors | 0 count💻 Computed |
| H-Bond Acceptors | 1 count💻 Computed |
| Rotatable Bonds | 0 count💻 Computed |
| Aromatic Rings | 0 count💻 Computed |
| Molar Refractivity | 45.987 cm^3/mol📊 OPERA |
| Polarizability | 18.231 Å^3📊 OPERA |
Data Sources:
🔬 EPA Experimental data from U.S. EPA CompTox Chemicals Dashboard & CTX APIs. 📊 OPERA Predicted using EPA's OPERA QSAR models. 💻 Computed Calculated from SMILES using RDKit.
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