Peppermint oil is steam distilled from the flowering tops of the perennial herb Mentha piperita. The principal constituents of peppermint oil are menthol and menthone with lesser amounts of menthyl acetate and menthofuran among others. Piperita is mostly cultivated in Western USA (some production in India), with the bulk of arvensis from China and India.
Peppermint essential oil is a pale yellow, yellow/green to colourless liquid with a penetrating characteristic minty camphoraceous odour.