Compositions containing one or more derivatives of essential oil compounds for use in personal care compositions, such as compositions for oral, throat and skin care are disclosed. These derivatives include acetals of parent essential oil aldehydes and ketones; esters or ethers of parent essential oil alcohols and phenolics; and esters of parent essential oil acids. Examples of parent essential oil aldehydes and ketones include citral, cinnamic aldehyde, anisaldehyde, vanillin, ethyl vanillin, heliotropin, carvone, and menthone. Examples of parent essential oil alcohols and phenolics include thymol, eugenol, isoeugenol, dihydroeugenol, carvacrol, carveol, geraniol, nerol, vanillyl alcohol, heliotropyl alcohol, anisyl alcohol, cinnamyl alcohol and ss-ionol. Examples of parent essential oil acids include anisic acid, cinnamic acid, vanillic acid and geranic acid.; The present compositions comprising essential oil derivatives are useful as base flavor or base perfume for incorporation into personal care products and to provide other benefits including antimicrobial efficacy. Optionally the compositions will contain additional antimicrobially- or anti-inflammatory-effective components including those also derived from plant essential oils or synthetic versions thereof.