Mexican Mint
Note Profile
About
Mexican Mint is not a true mint. It is Plectranthus amboinicus, a herb also sold as Cuban oregano, Spanish thyme and Indian borage. Its leaves smell of oregano and thyme, not of menthol or spearmint.
Scent Profile
Mexican Mint smells of oregano and thyme, not of mint. A strong, pungent herbal note leads, with a warm, spicy, phenolic edge close behind. A sharp, camphor-like note gives a brief cool lift. Underneath sits the plain green smell of a crushed leaf. It reads as a kitchen herb, not a cooling one.
ScentWheel
Read off the wheel, not a label applied to the note.
ScentArt
Origin
Plectranthus amboinicus (synonym Coleus amboinicus) is a fleshy, hairy-leaved herb of the mint family, Lamiaceae. It is native to southern and eastern Africa and now grows throughout the tropics. Its essential oil is led by carvacrol and thymol, the same phenols that lead oregano and thyme. The ratio varies widely by region: carvacrol from 14% to 90.6%, thymol from 7.2% to 61.5%. Gamma-terpinene, p-cymene and beta-caryophyllene are frequent minor parts.
Usage in Perfumery
In cooking it replaces oregano in Caribbean, Filipino and South Indian dishes. In perfumery, Parfumo lists Mexican mint in 19 perfumes from 1998 to 2025 (checked 2026-10-10), most often in the top. It sits beside rosemary, bergamot, basil and pine, and Parfumo files it with the thyme notes, not the mints. It does not stand in for a mint note: it has no menthol and none of mint's sweetness.
Similar Notes
Perfumes featuring Mexican Mint
A selection of reviewed perfumes where Mexican Mint appears prominently.
No perfumes featuring this note have been reviewed yet. Check back soon.