Sweet orange essential oil is a potent anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti fungal oil. It is primarily known for its rejuvenative and detoxifying properties for skin. It is also well regarded as a mentally and emotionally uplifting oil. It promotes vigor and a cheerful demeanor and promotes restful sleep in cases of insomnia. With a cleansing effect throughout the body, it aids detoxification through supporting movement of lymph.* In skincare sweet orange essential oil helps promote the production of collagen and skin’s natural repair process. It revitalizes, brightens and clarifies skin, especially skin that is excessively oily. Sweet orange is known for its astringent toning properties.
Sweet orange essential oil offers excellent immune system support. Its cooling and refreshing properties can be used to help lessen symptoms of a feverish flu or cold. The orange’s vitamin C content is not found in the essential oil.
It calms the digestive system as it helps food to move through the digestive tract to ease indigestion and relieve trapped gas and constipation.
Skin conditions for which sweet orange essential oil is useful include:
• eczema
• dermatitis
• after sun wrinkles
• oily skin
Other conditions the oil benefits include:
• high blood pressure
• fatigue
• sleep disorders
• uncomfortable symptoms of menses and menopause
• edema
• palpitations
• mouth ulcers
• colds
• flu
• bronchitis
• dyspepsia
• constipation
• spasms
• nervous tension
Sweet orange oil is also recommended for those suffering from magnesium deficiency.
Sweet orange oil has been found to have pleasant sedative effects when used in a massage oil formulation. If used in too high a concentration by itself, sweet orange oil can be an irritant, photo-sentizing** and even somewhat narcotic/hypnotic. For this reason, it’s best to rely on expert skincare formulations containing the oil such as the following created by PHYTO5:
Earth Selextreme Swiss mountain exfoliating salts
Water element skin Toner
Zen Body Exfoliation, organic certified
Zen Massage Oil, organic certified
Sweet orange essential oil is produced by cold pressing the peel or whole fruit of sweet orange varieties or by steam distilling the residues from the segmenting or juicing processes. When completely exhausted by steam distillation, the minced peels from one ton of California oranges yield from 11 to 15 pounds of essential oil.
Historically, the orange has been a symbol of innocence and fertility. The tree is indigenous to eastern Africa, Arabia and Syria and it is believed the crusaders introduced the orange to Europe when they returned from their campaigns.
There are many varieties of sweet orange oil, namely, Florida, California, French Guinea, Brazilian, Italian, Spanish, Palestine, Japanese, and East Indian, all with varying processing methods for essential oil and chemical composition.
* Beginning as interstitial fluid full of waste material discarded by the cells, lymph is a somewhat yellowish liquid containing white blood cells which bathe the tissues and drain through the lymph ducts into the bloodstream.
** Creating a chemical response to light
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Endnotes:
The Complete Technology Book of Essential Oils: (Aromatic Chemicals). Asia Pacific Business Press, 2008.
Rhind, Jennifer. Essential Oils: A Handbook for Aromatherapy Practice. Singing Dragon, 2019.
Curtis, Susan, et al. Essential Oils: All-Natural Remedies and Recipes for Your Mind, Body, and Home. DK Publishing, 2016.
Price, Shirley, et al. Aromatherapy for Health Professionals. Elsevier, 2020.
Braun, Lesley and Cohen, Mac. Herbs and Natural Supplements: An Evidence-Based Guide. Elsevier Health Sciences. 2010.