Botanical Name: Thymus Vulgaris

Origin: Balklans

Colour: Pink/Red

Thyme is yet another of the labiatae family, and another native of the Mediteranean. It was known as a medicinal plant to all the early civilisations of the Mediterranean basin, and both Hippocrates and Dioscorides described its uses. There are several varieties of Thyme, but the common Thyme (Thymus Vulgaris) is the one used in aromatherapy. Its familiar and pervasive scent is the origin of its name, which derives from the Greek 'thymos' -to perfume. The oil is distilled twice, to remove irritant substances present in the plant.

The pink flowered variety of common Thyme is considered to yield an essential oil superior to the white-flowered variety. The active constituents of the oil include thymol and carvacrol, together making up about 60% of the volume, with terpinene, cymene, borneol and linalol. Carvacrol and thymol are frequently isolated and used in pharmacy.