Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.
EWG Home EWG’s Guide to Healthy Cleaning EWG’s Food Scores Healthy Living App Open menu

EWG's Skin Deep®
Find products and ingredients Learn how Skin Deep® works Meet our experts Discover EWG VERIFIED®
GET UPDATES DONATE
Score legend
HOW WE DETERMINE SCORES Learn more About EWG VERIFIED®

Data: Fair

Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil

IMAGE SOURCE: PubChem

SEARCH PRODUCTS

Other Concerns

Enhanced skin absorption, Use restrictions (low), Neurotoxicity (low), Endocrine disruption (low), and Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (low)

SYNONYMS

● MENTHA PIPERITA AMERICAN HERB OIL
● MENTHA PIPERITA LEAF OIL
● PEPPERMINT LEAF OIL
● MENTHA PIPERITA (PEPPERMINT) LEAF OIL
● MENTHA PIPERITA (PEPPERMINT) OIL
● OIL OF PEPPERMINT
● MINT OIL
● PEPPERMINT OIL
● 8006-90-4
● 3,7-DIMETHYL-1-OXASPIRO[3.5]NONANE;3,6-DIMETHYL-4,5,6,7-TETRAHYDRO-1-BENZOFURAN;5-METHYL-2-PROPAN-2-YLCYCLOHEXAN-1-OL;5-METHYL-2-PROPAN-2-YLCYCLOHEXAN-1-ONE;(5-METHYL-2-PROPAN-2-YLCYCLOHEXYL) ACETATE;5-METHYL-2-PROPAN-2-YLIDENECYCLOHEXAN-1-ONE

Restricted

Restricted: EWG VERIFIED products cannot contain this ingredient without adequate substantiation

Peppermint oil is a volatile oil obtained from the plant Mentha piperita.

Common concerns

See how this product scores for common concerns.

  • LOW
    Cancer
  • HIGH
    Allergies & Immunotoxicity
  • LOW
    Developmental and Reproductive Toxicity
  • LOW
    Use Restrictions

Ingredient concerns

  • CONCERNS
  • DATA SOURCES

Products with this Ingredient

Expand content Collapse content
body oil43 products
facial cleanser103 products
conditioner267 products
shampoo319 products
toothpaste167 products
anti-aging3 products
body firming lotion12 products
mask81 products
hair treatment/serum190 products
around-eye cream2 products
bar soap116 products
body wash/cleanser122 products
exfoliant/scrub131 products
facial moisturizer/treatment42 products
shaving cream30 products
mouthwash64 products
styling gel/lotion26 products
shaving cream (men's)11 products
bath oil/salts/soak88 products
bubble bath14 products
vapor rubs7 products
moisturizer94 products
hand sanitizer15 products
lip balm246 products
muscle/joint soreness26 products
toners/astringents28 products
foot moisturizer66 products
foot cleansing22 products
after sun product11 products
hand cream22 products
tooth whitening55 products
fragrance for men3 products
fragrance for women3 products
hair-loss treatment27 products
antiperspirant/deodorant81 products
body spray14 products
lip gloss193 products
liquid hand soap47 products
lipstick140 products
foot odor control22 products
hair styling aid32 products
Beard Conditioners2 products
beard care15 products
Moisturizing Socks2 products
lip balm with SPF7 products
Face Wipes1 products
daily use with SPF3 products
recreational sunscreen15 products
serums & essences31 products
after shave7 products
eye shadow1 products
foundation2 products
body powder7 products
beard cleanser9 products
lip plumper33 products
makeup primer3 products
hair spray8 products
damaged skin treatment7 products
baby bubble bath8 products
baby shampoo2 products
baby soap1 products
baby wipes2 products
sunless tanning34 products
detangler6 products
beard oil18 products
Other Hair Care Preparations2 products
oil controller2 products
antiperspirant/deodorant (men's)9 products
baby lotion1 products
hair color and bleaching1 products
cuticle treatment1 products
nail treatment2 products
polish remover2 products
styling mousse/foam5 products
Hair Styling Gel4 products
Oils & Serums1 products
nail polish2 products
setting powder/spray1 products
dandruff/scalp treatment 1 products
blush1 products
Massaging Preparations1 products
Dry Shampoo and Hair Powders1 products
Bath and Body Wipes1 products

Contamination concerns

Expand content Collapse content
Chemical
TETRAHYDRO-DIMETHYLBENZOFURAN

Allergies/immunotoxicity

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
Known human toxicant or allergenEU Cosmetics Directive
Limited evidence of dermal toxicity or allergiesEuropean Chemicals Agency (ECHA)
Limited evidence of immune system toxicity or allergiesEuropean Chemicals Agency (ECHA)
immune system or allergies - weight of evidence unknown/unassessedCosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR)
One or more human case studies show equivocal or allergenic effectsPeer Reviewed Literature

Enhanced skin absorption

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
Penetration enhancerCosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR)

Data gaps

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
Risk assessment method deficiencies and data gaps - Maximum reported 'as used' concentration is basis of safety assessment by industry safety panel (Cosmetic Ingredient Review, CIR) - implicit safe concentration limit in productCosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR)

Use restrictions

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
Determined safe for use in cosmetics, subject to concentration or use limitations - Restrictions on impurities recommended by industry safety panelCosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR)
Determined safe for use in cosmetics, subject to concentration or use limitations - Safe for use in cosmetics with some qualificationsCosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR)
Determined safe for use in cosmetics, subject to concentration or use limitations - Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR)
Determined safe for use in cosmetics, subject to concentration or use limitations - Restrictions on impurities recommended by industry safety panel.Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR)

Multiple, additive exposure sources

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in foodUS Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
Classified as not expected to be potentially toxic or harmfulEnvironment Canada
Classified as a low human health priorityEnvironment Canada

Persistence and bioaccumulation

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
Not suspected to be persistentEnvironment Canada
Not suspected to be bioaccumulativeEnvironment Canada

Ecotoxicology

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
Not suspected to be an environmental toxinEnvironment Canada
Wildlife and environmental toxicityEuropean Chemicals Agency (ECHA)

Biochemical or cellular level changes

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
Does not produces excess reactive oxygen species or other harmful biochemical changes.Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Properties of Essential Oils from Peppermint, Native Spearmint and Scotch Spearmint(2019-08-01)

Endocrine disruption

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
Associated with endocrine disruptionNational Toxicology Program (NTP)

Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
Limited evidence of skin/eye irritationEuropean Chemicals Agency (ECHA)
One or more animal studies show skin irritation at moderate dosesCosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR)
One or more animal studies show irritation at moderate dosesPeer Reviewed Literature

Neurotoxicity

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
One or more animal studies show nervous system effects at high dosesCosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR)

Cancer

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
One or more in vitro tests on mammalian cells show positive mutation resultsCosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR)
Mutagen - limited evidenceEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Not likely to be mutagenic in humansPeer Reviewed Literature
  • EU Cosmetics Directive
  • European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)
  • Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR)
  • Peer Reviewed Literature
  • US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
  • Environment Canada
  • Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Properties of Essential Oils from Peppermint, Native Spearmint and Scotch Spearmint(2019-08-01)
  • National Toxicology Program (NTP)
  • Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Understanding scores

Cosmetics and personal care products are not required to be tested for safety before being allowed on the market. The Skin Deep® scoring system was designed to help the public understand whether a product is safe to use or whether it contains ingredients of concern.

Every product and ingredient in Skin Deep gets a two-part score – one for hazard and one for data availability. The safest products score well by both measures, with a low hazard rating and a fair or better data availability rating.


HOW WE DETERMINE SCORES

Hazard score

The Skin Deep ingredient hazard score, from 1 to 10, reflects known and suspected hazards linked to the ingredients. The EWG Verified® mark means a product meets EWG’s strictest criteria for transparency and health.

Score legend
WEIGHT-OF-EVIDENCE APPROACH

A product’s hazard score is not an average of the ingredients’ hazard scores. It is calculated using a weight-of-evidence approach that factors in all of the hazards or health impacts associated with the ingredients.

Data availability

The Skin Deep data availability rating reflects the number of scientific studies about the product or ingredient in the published scientific literature.

NONE LIMITED FAIR GOOD ROBUST
Low Availability
Moderate Availability
High Availability
NONE

Ingredients have not been assessed.

LIMITED-FAIR

There is only a modest volume of research.

GOOD-ROBUST

Ingredients have been studied extensively.

Can’t find your product?

Enter the ingredients in EWG’s Build Your Own Report tool to get an approximate score for that product.

BUILD YOUR OWN REPORT

News & updates

Big Market for Black Cosmetics, but Less-Hazardous Choices Limited
RESEARCH
Big Market for Black Cosmetics, but Less-Hazardous Choices Limited
K-Beauty Trends: Serums, Essences and EWG’s Best Bets
RESEARCH
K-Beauty Trends: Serums, Essences and EWG’s Best Bets
FDA Asks Women To Protect Themselves From Products The Agency Refused To Ban
NEWS RELEASE
FDA Asks Women To Protect Themselves From Products The Agency Refused To Ban
Study Highlights Importance of Cosmetics Ingredient Safety Tests
NEWS RELEASE
Study Highlights Importance of Cosmetics Ingredient Safety Tests
READ ALL ARTICLES
Skindeep Healthy Living App

EWG research
on the go

Find personal care, cleaning, and food products on the EWG Healthy Living app.

DOWNLOAD THE APP