Ingredient
*Carvone
Benefits
Natural
Carvone is a natural aromatic molecule that occurs in a few plants, such as spearmint and caraway, in very high concentrations.
What does natural carvone smell like?
There are two main isomers of carvone:
(+)-carvone gives caraway its typical scent: pungent, spicy, peppery, reminiscent of aniseed or liquorice. It is also found in dill, especially in the seeds.
(-)-carvone gives spearmint its sweet, minty fragrance. It can make up to 71% of the oil!
What are the benefits of natural carvone for the skin?
- Carvone seems to have interesting antibacterial and soothing properties on the skin.
- It is also described as an antioxidant, meaning that it could help our skin cells to fight against the damaging effects of free radicals.
Why does this appear in my list of ingredients?
Carvone, alongside 79 other fragrance substances, has been identified as an allergen by the EU cosmetics regulations and other global bodies. This means that, whether natural or synthetic, it is more likely to cause allergic reactions in the form of skin sensitisation or irritation in susceptible individuals. In 2009, 26 materials (now 24 after lilial and lyral’s permanent ban) were identified as allergens and therefore had to be declared on product labels. 56 more have been added since, such as carvone, and should start appearing on labels in 2026, with a deadline of 2028.
While allergies affect only a small minority, it is still important to highlight the presence of allergens in products so that customers who may be more sensitive to them can make informed decisions. These substances are subject to restrictions to ensure their safe use in cosmetics. They must also appear on product labels when they occur above a certain limit: 0,001 % for leave-on products like moisturisers and 0,01 % for rinse-off products like shower gels.
At Lush, these substances can occur naturally in essential oils, absolutes, and resinoids, or may be added to support our fragrance formulas. To help customers better understand what's in their products, we've colour-coded our ingredients on the labels. When obtained from natural sources, the allergen is in green text. When naturally occurring in an ingredient such as an essential oil, it is listed in green, preceded by an asterisk (e.g. *Carvone). When added to a formula in a synthetic form, it is listed in black, without an asterisk.