Special Thyme
$30.00
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Special Thyme™
View the Verification Report →Because they are not chemically the same.
The same botanical species, Thymus vulgaris, can produce very different essential oils depending on its chemotype. Special Thyme™ combines three of them — thymol, linalool and thujanol — into one concentrated Ananda formulation.
Use it sparingly in diffusion and personal inhalation, in your own formulations, or as part of Super Immune™, where it forms the thyme foundation.
Same plant. Three different chemistries. One deliberate formulation.
Three chemical profiles. One proprietary formulation.
How We Use It
Diffusion
Use sparingly in seasonal aromatic blends. Special Thyme™ is concentrated and assertive; a small amount is generally sufficient.
Personal Inhalation
Use in an appropriately prepared personal inhaler when a concentrated thyme aromatic profile is desired.
In Formulation
Special Thyme™ can be incorporated into more complex essential-oil formulations where several expressions of thyme chemistry are desired. It forms the thyme foundation of Ananda's Super Immune™.
Topical Formulation
Special Thyme™ must be diluted appropriately before topical use. Because the formula contains thymol-rich thyme, conservative topical formulation is required. Do not apply undiluted.
Aromatic Character
Strong, dry and herbaceous, with the characteristic intensity of thymol-rich thyme moderated by the softer aromatic character of the linalool and thujanol chemotypes.
Questions & Answers
What is Special Thyme™ used for?
For a concentrated thyme aromatic profile: sparingly in seasonal diffuser blends, in a prepared personal inhaler, or as the thyme component of your own formulations. It is also the thyme foundation of Ananda's Super Immune™.
Special Thyme™ is not a tested household disinfectant, and laboratory results on thyme materials should not be read as claims for surface or household use.
Why combine three thyme chemotypes instead of using one thyme essential oil?
Because thyme is not chemically uniform. A chemotype is a chemically distinct expression of the same species: two authentic Thymus vulgaris oils can differ substantially in dominant constituents, aroma and measured antibacterial activity. A single thyme oil gives you one of those expressions. Special Thyme™ gives you three in one material.
Is Special Thyme™ the same as Benchmark Thyme?
No. Benchmark Thyme was a separate multi-thyme formulation that Ananda carried for years. Special Thyme™ is Ananda's own formulation of three Thymus vulgaris chemotypes and is not based on the same species or formula. See Formulation History below.
Ingredients
Essential oils of:
- Thymus vulgaris ct. thymol
- Thymus vulgaris ct. linalool
- Thymus vulgaris ct. thujanol
Undiluted essential oil formulation.
Notes & Cautions
- Special Thyme™ is a highly concentrated essential-oil formulation. Do not apply undiluted to the skin.
- Thymol-rich thyme can irritate skin and mucous membranes at inappropriate concentrations.
- Avoid eyes and mucous membranes.
- Do not add undiluted essential oils directly to bath water.
- Use conservatively in diffusion.
- Children: Keep away from young children. This is a concentrated aromatic formulation. We do not recommend diffusing it in bedrooms occupied by young children. Consult your naturopath or physician.
- Seek qualified guidance during pregnancy or breastfeeding, or when medications or specific medical considerations are involved.
- For external aromatic and appropriately diluted topical use only.
- Store tightly closed away from heat and direct light.
The Formula
Thyme ct. thymol
The phenolic foundation of Special Thyme™. Thymol-rich thyme has an extensive laboratory research history for antimicrobial activity and gives the formulation its most assertive thyme character.
Thyme ct. linalool
The same botanical species expressed through a very different, linalool-rich chemistry. Comparative research has demonstrated meaningful antibacterial activity despite very little thymol or carvacrol.
Thyme ct. thujanol
A third expression of Thymus vulgaris, with a constituent profile distinct from both the thymol- and linalool-rich chemotypes.
Special Thyme™ brings all three into one formulation rather than asking a single chemotype to represent thyme as a whole.
Formulation History
Ananda carried Benchmark Thyme, the multi-thyme formulation associated with Maggie Tisserand's work, for years. Its underlying principle was important: chemically different thyme materials could be deliberately combined rather than treating "thyme" as a single uniform material.
That principle was later examined at the University of Brighton using a proprietary blend of four Thymus zygis cultivars.
Special Thyme™ is not Benchmark Thyme. It is Ananda's own formulation of three defined Thymus vulgaris chemotypes: thymol, linalool and thujanol.
The lineage is the formulation principle, not the formula.
Further Study
The research below concerns thyme chemotypes and their constituents — not clinical testing of Special Thyme™ itself.
1. Formulation Precedent — Benchmark / Brighton
This study examined a four-cultivar Thymus zygis blend, not Ananda's Thymus vulgaris formula. The blend showed significant inhibitory and bactericidal activity against MSSA and epidemic MRSA strains in laboratory testing and was compared directly with an unblended linalool chemotype. Its relevance here is the formulation principle: distinct thyme materials, deliberately blended and tested as an integrated whole.
Caplin JL, Allan I, Hanlon GW. "Enhancing the in vitro activity of Thymus essential oils against Staphylococcus aureus by blending oils from specific cultivars." International Journal of Essential Oil Therapeutics. 2009;3(1):35–39.
2. Chemotype Evidence — Thymus vulgaris
Different Thymus vulgaris chemotypes — including thymol, linalool and 4-thujanol/terpinen-4-ol types — differ substantially in constituent chemistry, aroma and measured antibacterial activity. In this comparison, the linalool chemotype showed antibacterial activity close to the thymol chemotype despite containing very little thymol or carvacrol.
Schmidt E, et al. "Chemical composition, olfactory analysis and antibacterial activity of Thymus vulgaris chemotypes geraniol, 4-thujanol/terpinen-4-ol, thymol and linalool." Natural Product Communications. 2012.
View Study →3. Thymol-Rich Thyme & Antimicrobial Research
Thymol-rich thyme carries the deepest research base of the three chemotypes, with laboratory studies documenting bactericidal and antibacterial activity under controlled conditions.
Kowalczyk A, Przychodna M, Sopata S, Bodalska A, Fecka I. "Thymol and Thyme Essential Oil — New Insights into Selected Therapeutic Applications." Molecules. 2020;25:4125.
View Study →
