Orange blossom essential oil: properties, extraction process and all the information on the essence of orange blossom obtained from bitter orange flowers.
Orange blossom essential oil is only one of the three essential oils extracted from Bitter Orange, botanically known as Citrus aurantium subs. Bitter.
Bitter orange essential oil
Speaking of bitter orange essential oil is rather vague precisely because three different essences can be obtained from this botanical species:
- Neroli
oil Neroli essential oil is extracted from bitter orange blossoms (Citrus aurantium subs. Amara) by steam distillation. - Orange blossom oil
Orange blossom essential oil is extracted from bitter orange blossoms (Citrus aurantium subs. Amara) with an enfleurage process, ie with a cold extraction using a solvent. - Petitgrain
oil Petitgrain essential oil is extracted from the leaves of the bitter orange (Citrus aurantium subs. Amara)
For the detailed properties of the essential oils of bitter orange, we refer you to the list of links in the paragraph dedicated to the Properties of essential oils. Many bloggers but also aromatherapists themselves tend to confuse Neroli essential oil and Zagara essential oil, claiming that they are the same product. As is clear from the previous description, even if the raw material is the same (bitter orange flowers) the extraction processes are different but the product obtained retains the same properties.
Orange blossom essential oil
The orange blossom is the flower of citrus fruits, in fact when we speak generically of orange blossom we refer to the orange, lemon and bergamot flower. When we talk about orange blossom essential oil, we refer to the essence obtained from bitter orange flowers.
Orange blossom essential oil is extracted by enfluerage, this method is perfect for extracting essences from flowers, however it is very long and has a very low yield. For these reasons it is very rare to find orange blossom essential oil and the predominant form of extraction is that by steam distillation. In both cases, we are talking about rather expensive essential oils as the yield in terms of essence is 0.1% by weight. It is for this reason that orange blossom and neroli essential oils are very expensive.
On the market it is possible to find orange blossom oil or sophisticated neroli essential oil, that is enriched with essences of other citrus fruits, usually lemon, sweet orange or bergamot. In this case the purchase price is much lower and the essence is presented as orange blossom essential oil or similar terms.
The chemical composition of orange blossom essential oil, as well as that of any natural product, can vary greatly according to the conditions of cultivation (place of harvest, time of harvest, climatic trend…). Generally speaking, it can be said that a good orange blossom essential oil contains a high percentage of ester compounds such as linalyl, neryl and geranyl acetates from 21% to 70%, monoterpenes such as limonene, alpha and beta pinene and camphene up to 40% and monoterpene alcohol. linalool.
In aromatherapy, orange blossom essential oil is highly prized and appreciated above all by artists: it would seem a good natural remedy to find the right creative inspiration. The diffusion of the essence of orange blossom in the environment would predispose to relaxation and rest. For all the detailed properties, please refer to the page dedicated to Neroli essential oil.
