Orange blossom and orange oils

Orange blossom oil and orange oil are both bounteous in nature and offer the most uplifting joy to our senses: from the colour of the oranges and beauty in the blossom, to the extraordinary aromatic scent. They also provide almost endless healing properties including the most wonderful mood booster!

Orange oil facts.

Harvest and Production:

Oranges are grown and harvested all over the world, in tropical and sub-tropical climates for their sweet fruit where you will see an orange hue colouring the groves. Standard varieties of orange trees can grow up to 18 to 30 feet tall.

The orange peels for the zest are crushed before steam distillation, or extracted using other methods. The oil is a deep yellow/orange colour

Aromatic Scent: Sweet, light, fresh, spicy with a fruity aldehydic quality

Perfume Note: Top

Where was it first discovered: Orange oil was first discovered in Eastern Asia and was known fruit of the Gods.  

Therapeutic Properties: Reviving, invigorating, rejuvenating

Extraction: Steam distilled, solvent, cold expression, C02 extraction.

Latin name:  Citrus sinensis Botanical name: Rutaceae

Quantities and Cost: 1 kilo of orange peel is needed for 2 to 8 ml of essential oil. It is a very resourceful oil and is used in many different types of products, including flavours in cooking, baking, skincare and cleaning products.

Orange oil Tips:

 Try putting a few drops of orange essential oil into a burner /vaporiser and you will start to feel the warming aromas in the air.

Oranges can be used in culinary dishes, for cakes, freshly squeezed for juice. The peel can be added to DIY cleaning products. Or, quite simply, when you take iron, you need vitamin C for it to absorb, so just eat an orange!

At Terre Verdi, we use the sweet orange essential oil citrus sinensis peel oil in many of our hand-crafted products because of its cell renewal and uplifting benefits.

How do orange blossom, neroli, and petitgrain oils differ.

Orange blossom oil comes from the bitter orange tree and has a wide range of scents. The orange blossom and neroli absolutes from the flowers and petitgrain from the leaves and twigs. For the orange blossom, the flowers are extracted using solvent processes. Neroli oil, citrus aurantium flower oil, also comes from the blossom but the difference is due to the result of the extraction process of which it is steam distilled. Petitgrain, citrus aurantium amara leaf / twig oil, is extracted by steam distilling the leaves and twigs. The Orange blossom flowers are white with a tinge of pale yellow in the centre. The trees grow up to 5 to 7 metres high and the leaves stay green all year round.

Orange blossom oil facts.

Harvest and Production:

Orange blossom is a pretty white flower, waxy and with a tinge of pale yellow, and is from the bitter orange trees. It grows mainly in warmer climates in the Mediterranean and Africa. The harvest is heavily influenced by the weather conditions, which mean crop yields vary dramatically. The quality of the oil varies greatly from area of production to another. The blooms are picked during the months of April and May and just sing out spring is in the air from the tree tops! The petals are freshly picked and immediately extracted. The oil is a pale yellow.

Aromatic Scent: When the quality is good the scent is beautifully elegant; rich with a sweet floral undertone, a great freshness and has an incredible tenacity.

Perfume note: Top

Where was it first Discovered: Orange Blossom oil was first discovered in Egypt and Tunisia and has been used for therapeutic and medicinal purposes and has now become a popular oil as well as Neroli oil and Petitgrain oil.

Therapeutic Properties: Uplifting, relaxing, calming, balancing

Extraction: Orange Blossom: solvent extraction, (previously it was extracted by the process of enfleurage, but rarely used now) Neroli: steam distilled, solvent, C02. Petitgrain: steam distilled, solvent, C02 

Latin name: Citrus aurantium Botanical name: Rutaceae

Quantities and Cost: It comes at a very high price: 1,000 Kilos of flower petals are needed to produce 1 kilogram of essential oil.  For a 2ml of quality oil would easily cost £30. It is a precious oil and just a small amount goes a long way, containing a rich amount of powerful healing properties and a beautiful scent.

Orange Blossom Tips:

If the orange blossom is being distilled for the extraction of the oil, the flower water which is a hydrosol, (if you can get hold of some) can also be quite magnificent on its own and can be used as a refreshing mist when spritzed on your face.

At Terre Verdi we also use Neroli oil in many of our products, and although it is unique, the essential oil also shares many similar qualities to sweet orange and has a wonderful way of lifting your spirits in the morning!

 

There is a plethora of benefits from the humble orange essential oil for our skin which are:

• Paired with moisture, itthoroughly hydrates the skin.
• It helps increase concentration, confidence, happiness, joy.
• It has potent antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.
• It can be used to treatacned 
• It helps with blood flow and improves circulation in the skin.
• It increases the ability to absorb vitamin C into the skin.
• It fights off free radicals to prevent premature skin ageing.
• It also promotes cell growth and collagen synthesis, which are beneficial for our skin as it ages.

 

Orange Blossom/Neroli essential oil also has many benefits for our skin which include:

• It has uplifting, calming and relaxing properties by putting a few drops in an oil burner/vaporiser or diluting a few drops into a carrier oil before rubbing it into skin.
• It has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.
• It helps to improve symptoms of anxiety and stress which help calm the skin.
• You can lower your cortisol levels by diluting a few drops in a carrier oil and rubbing into skin.
• It helps to re-balance acne prone skin, redness and breakouts.
• It aids the regeneration of scarred skin.
• It increases the elasticity in mature skin, helping to lock in moisture. 

Where are orange and neroli oils found in the Terre Verdi range.

Orange oil and neroli oil are both in our FranChouliPom Nourishing Facial Serum, which intensely helps to hydrate the skin.

For a whole bodily nourishment try our FranChouliPom Body Oil and concentrate on dryer areas of your skin.

Our ArganShea Multitasking Cream will help to introduce more moisture to your skin as well as locking it in.