Neroli Essential Oil Profile

Neroli essential oil is extracted from the fragrant blossoms of the bitter orange tree (Citrus aurantium sub.sp amara), and has a beautiful aroma that appeals to men and women alike. In common with rose and jasmine, neroli oil is a complete fragrance in itself and forms the heart of one of the worlds most enduring perfumes, ‘Eau de Cologne’.

It is believed that C. aurantium originated in South-East Asia, later spreading to North-Eastern India, Burma and China, and eventually finding its way via Arab traders to Africa, Arabia and Syria. From these regions it was taken to the Mediterranean by the Moors, and by the end of the 12th century it was cultivated in Seville, Spain, thereby leading to the common name for bitter oranges.

Origin of the name

Precisely how this essential oil became known as ‘neroli’ is has never been entirely proven, but legend has it that during the 17th century in Italy, Anne Marie de la Trémoille (Orsini), who was duchess of Bracciano and princess of Nerola, first introduced the oil as a fashionable fragrance to high society. She used it whilst bathing and also to perfume her stationary, scarves and most famously, her gloves. It is believed this precious essential oil was later named after the princess Nerola.

The beautiful fragrance quickly caught on, and in 1709 the Italian perfumer J.M. Farina launched his unique blend of neroli, bergamot, lavender, lemon, petitgrain and rosemary essential oils onto an unsuspecting world, naming it ‘Eau de Cologne’. The rest as they say, is history.

Fragrant assets

The bitter orange tree is a small evergreen that typically reaches a height of 3 metres (10ft) in cultivation, but may attain up to 6 metres (20ft) when growing in the wild. It has a smooth brown trunk, stout branches and flexible green twigs with rather blunt thorns, and has a more erect stature and compact crown than that of the sweet orange tree (Citrus sinensis).

The green twigs contain a significant amount of essential oil, and these along with the broad, ovate, glossy and highly aromatic leaves are used to produce petitgrain essential oil. The golden-yellow sour fruits are round or oval with a thick, heavily pitted skin that yield bitter orange essential oil by cold expression. This is a truly fragrant tree!

Critical timing

Throughout April and May in Tunisia, prolific clusters of attractive, highly scented blossoms consisting of 5 petals and 24 yellow stamens begin to appear on the tree. Further to the beautiful oil within, these flowers also produce tasty nectar which proves irresistible to honey bees. The oil content of the flowers increases as they develop and bloom.

The flowering buds are usually harvested by hand early in the morning just as they begin to open – but only on warm, sunny days, because damp or overcast weather can have an adverse effect on the fragrance of the oil. It is absolutely critical that the buds are collected at the correct stage of maturity, because if they are plucked too soon the yield of oil will be lower and the resulting oil will have an unwanted ‘green’ note in the fragrance.

Conversely, if the buds have opened too far when they are gathered much of the precious volatile oil will evaporate during the process of transportation to the stills. Getting the timing wrong either way will have a severe detrimental effect on both the fragrance and value of the distilled essential oil.

Producing regions

Although neroli oil is produced in many countries such as Algeria, Egypt, France, Haiti, Italy, Morocco and Spain, the oils produced in France and Tunisia have always been considered to be the very finest and still command the highest price.

My preference is for the fragrance of the neroli essential oil produced in Tunisia. The growers and distillery I visited really impressed me with their dedication and passion for what they do, and it seemed they treated it not so much as a business but more like a way of life. To me, the quality and efficacy of the Tunisian neroli oil reflects this expertise and passion for farming and the art of distillation.

Preparation and extraction

Before transportation to the distillery, the collected buds must be carefully ‘winnowed’ by hand to remove all traces of stray leaves, twigs or similar plant debris. Failure to remove this unwanted material will again result in a tainted fragrance of sub-standard quality that will be unable to command the high price normally associated with Tunisian neroli essential oil.

Isolation of the essential oil is achieved by low-pressure ‘cool’ water-steam distillation which yields a pale yellow oil with an exquisite, fresh, fruity-floral aroma. Up to 20% of the essential oil is dissolved into the water during the process of distillation, and this is recovered by solvent extraction resulting in what is known as ‘orange flower water absolute’.

Since this material consists mainly of the water-soluble components of the oil, the aroma is not very representative of the flower, but nontheless is still put to good use in the perfumery industry. Solvent extraction of the flowers produces a dark orange/brown viscous absolute with the most beautiful rich, warm and floral fragrance that closely resembles that of the blossoms. This is known as orange blossom or orange flower absolute.

Uses in aromatherapy

Neroli is one of nature’s most effective antidepressant essential oils, which together with its balancing and sedative properties makes it perfect for treating all types of negative emotional conditions, states of anxiety and tension, hysteria, bereavement, menopause, insomnia and of course, stress. It quickly helps to bring stability and balance back to emotional turmoil.

The unique chemistry of this essential oil means that in common with a few other sedative oils, neroli also has the ability to rejuvenate and revive the mind and body too. Its beautiful fragrance never fails to refresh and uplift – no matter what mood you are in, and when used in vaporizers, baths and massage it really lifts the weary spirit and brings comfort and strength. It also holds a reputation as an effective aphrodisiac.

A wide range of problem skin conditions such as acne, spots, rashes and eczema respond extremely well to treatments incorporating neroli oil, but for best results with these conditions add it to a hypoallergenic carrier lotion or base cream rather than a carrier oil. When used as part of a regular skin care routine, neroli improves elasticity, stimulates skin cell renewal, reduces thread veins, softens wrinkles and scars, and smells absolutely divine. What more could you ask from an essential oil!

Along with rose and frankincense, neroli essential oil is one of the most useful oils to nourish, protect and care for your skin, whatever your age.

Neroli essential oil blends well with many other oils, but do take care not to smother its unique aroma because it can be overpowered easily. That said, it does blend nicely with small quantities of bergamot, coriander, geranium, grapefruit, jasmine, lavender, lemon, lime, mandarin, orange, petitgrain, rose, rosemary, sandalwood, ylang, ylang.

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