Orange (Bitter) Peel Essential Oil (Citrus Aurantium L., ssp. amara Engl., C. bigaradia Risso)
- Bitter orange, an expressed peel oil. Citrus × aurantium from Brazil, and a different oil from the sweet orange, Citrus sinensis.
- Photosensitizing on the skin. Expressed bitter orange is phototoxic, so it shines in the diffuser and wants a careful hand on the skin. See how to use it.
- A clean, lively citrus. It smells of the fresh rind of the fruit, light and sunny, the scent of a sour orange.
- One tree, three oils. The same tree also gives neroli from its blossom and petitgrain from its twigs.
- An oil we use ourselves. Like everything we sell, it comes from small-batch producers and is checked by an outside lab for adulteration, pesticides and synthetics.
- The same oil in every size. Pick the bottle that suits you on the Compare tab, and start small if bitter orange is new to you. Compare sizes.
Product specification
Our quality promise
Bitter orange, the peel oil of Citrus aurantium
6 benefits of Orange
A bright citrus for the diffuser
Bitter orange fills a room with a clean, sunny citrus the moment the diffuser starts. In the air it never meets skin, so the sun caution that comes with this oil on the skin does not apply to diffusing at all. A little carries a long way, so begin with a small amount and add until the room smells right.
The collector's orange
Bitter orange is the connoisseur's citrus, the less-common one people seek out when a plain sweet orange feels too familiar. It brings more character to a blend than an everyday citrus, which is why collectors keep a bottle on the shelf. For anyone building a range of citrus oils, this is the one to own.
Kin to neroli and petitgrain
This oil shares a tree with neroli and petitgrain, so the three sit together in a blend as though they were meant to. Layering the peel, the flower and the leaf gives you the whole tree in a single accord, a trick perfumers love. They are the most natural companions bitter orange has.
A citrus lift for the perfumer
Over spice, wood and resin, this oil adds a bright citrus opening that lifts a blend, then steps back as the heavier materials come through. Perfumers use it for a citrus lift with an edge, one that cuts across cinnamon, sandalwood or frankincense without turning soft. It shows as fresh peel at first, then leaves the wood and resin to carry the rest.
Happiest in the diffuser
Happiest in the diffuser or in blends that rinse off, bitter orange asks for a lighter touch when it goes on skin that will meet daylight. We would rather spell that out plainly than sell a citrus as trouble-free. That honesty is part of why people trust the bottle.
Bright from the peel
Cold-pressed from the rind, this oil holds the bright, sappy smell of the just-cut fruit, the scent you catch when you score the skin of an orange with a thumbnail. Nothing is added and nothing is taken out, so what reaches the bottle is the character of the peel itself. This is what a well-handled bitter orange should smell like.
How to use
Diffuser
In the airStart with 4 to 6 drops in a water diffuser for a medium room, then add a drop at a time until the scent is where you want it. Bitter orange is bright and carries well, so a light hand goes a long way. Run the diffuser for 30 to 60 minutes, then give the room a rest with some fresh air. There is no photosensitizing risk in the air, since that caution is only for oil left on skin in daylight.
On the skin
TopicalNever use bitter orange neat, always dilute it in a carrier oil and patch test on the inner arm a day ahead. This oil is phototoxic on the skin, so if you do put it on, keep it well diluted and stay out of the sun and off tanning beds for at least 24 hours afterward. The safest way to enjoy it is in the air or in a blend that washes off, where the sun caution does not apply. Keep it away from the eyes and out of reach of children, and it is not for internal use.
In the bath
BathStir 3 to 4 drops into a tablespoon of carrier oil or unscented bath oil before you add it to a full tub, because oil and water do not mix on their own. The carrier is what spreads the drops through the water so they reach the skin softened, not as neat oil on the surface. A bath rinses off, so there is no sun concern in the water. Swirl the water and step in.
Keeping it fresh
StorageStore bitter orange somewhere cool and dark with the cap closed, because this oil oxidizes over time. An oxidized citrus oil can bother the skin, so an old bottle that has gone flat is one for the diffuser, not for the skin. Buy a size you will use while it is fresh.
3 recipes using this oil
Tap a recipe to see the full formula and method.
Method. Add the drops to a water diffuser and run it for 30 to 60 minutes. The petitgrain keeps the citrus green and the frankincense lays a soft resin floor, so the bitter orange stays bright on top. Open a window when the cycle ends.
Method. Pour the witch hazel into a spray bottle, add the drops and swirl, then top it up with the water. Shake before every use, since the oils float otherwise. Mist over linens and into the air, not onto skin you will take into the sun.
Method. Stir the drops into the carrier oil, then swirl it through a full tub just before you get in. The carrier holds the drops so they spread through the bath and reach the skin gently, not as raw oil on the water. Rinse the tub after, since oils leave a film.
Frequently asked questions
7 answers drawn from the product specification and our own use of this oil.
Frequently bought together
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