Citrus aurantium cold pressed from the peels in Sicily.

Aroma: Orange Bitter Essential oil has a very sweet citrus smell characteristic of sweet orange, while also carrying some of the bitterness of grapefruit.

History: The Bitter Orange is native to southern China and North-Eastern India. There is some argument, but it is believed that Bitter Orange was brought to Europe by the Arabs in the First century along with the Sweet Orange. The Bitter Orange tree is an evergreen that grows up to 30 feet high with glossy dark green leaves and fragrant white flowers. The essential oil is produced by cold pressing of the peel. Both the Bitter Orange and edible orange trees bear a great resemblance to each other, but their leaf stalks show a noticeable difference. The Bitter Orange is much broader in the shape of a heart.

Common Uses: The bitter orange has properties very similar to the sweet orange: antidepressant, antiseptic, antispasmodic, aphrodisiac, carminative, cordial, deodorant, digestive, stimulant (nervous), tonic (cardiac, circulatory). Orange Bitter essential may be used in the same way as oil of turpentine in chronic bronchitis. It is non-irritant to the kidneys and pleasant to take. It has also been applied to combat colds, constipation, dull skin, flatulence, the flu, gums, slow digestion, and stress.

Uses: Colds, constipation, dull skin, flatulence, flatulence, flu, gums, mouth, slow digestion, stress. [Julia Lawless, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils (Rockport, MA: Element Books, 1995), 57-67.]

Major Constituents:
Constituents:
Limonene 88 - 95%
Beta-pinene 0.5 - 1.80%
B-Myrcene
Linalool
Bergapten
See Essential Oil Safety for more complete list of constituents.
[B.M. Lawrence, Essential Oils 1981-1987 (Wheaton: Allured Publishing, 1989), 39-40. P. Dugo, L. Mondello, E. Sebastiani, et al., Identification of Minor Oxygen Heterocyclic Compounds of Citrus Essential Oils by Liquid Chromatography-Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionisation Mass Spectrometry. (Journal of Liquid Chromatography & Related Technologies 22, 1999), 2991-3005. B.M. Lawrence, Progress in Essential Oils, Number 2. (Perfumer & Flavorist 25, 2000), 46-49. SCCP, Opinion on Furocoumarins in Cosmetic Products. (Scientific Committee on COnsumer Products, 13-Dec.-2005), SCCP/0942/05. Sources cited in Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young, Essential Oil Safety (Second Edition. United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2014), 371.]

Colour: light greenish orange

Consistency: Thin

Perfumery Note: Top

Strength of Initial Aroma: Medium

Cautions: This oil has phototoxic properties and exposure to the sun must be avoided after application to the skin. Dilute well before use. Tisserand and Young recommend a dermal maximum of 1.25% to avoid risk of phototoxic reaction. Avoid using Bitter Orange Oil that has oxidized due to a greater risk of skin sensitization. May cause skin irritation in some individuals; a skin test is recommended prior to use. Contact with eyes should be avoided. Reading Tisserand and Young's full profile is recommended. [Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young, Essential Oil Safety (Second Edition. United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2014), 87, 371.]

Photo thanks to BMK Wikimedia [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons