Thyme is an evergreen shrubby plant in the mint family that grows throughout the Mediterranean region. There are more than 300 varieties of this popular culinary herb. Thymus vulgaris refers to garden thyme, also known as German thyme.
Thyme essential oil is made by solvent extraction of one or more chemotypes to produce a mixture of essential oils and aroma compounds. The anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects of thyme oil is owing to these compounds, including thymol, 1,8 cineole, carvacrol, geraniol, linalool, p-cymene and thujanol.