Neroli
Encyclopedia
Bitter orange
The name "bitter orange", also known as Seville orange, sour orange, bigarade orange, and marmalade orange, refers to a citrus tree and its fruit. Many varieties of bitter orange are used for their essential oil, which is used in perfume and as a flavoring...
tree (Citrus aurantium subsp. amara or Bigaradia). Its scent is sweet, honeyed and somewhat metallic, whereas bergamot
Bergamot orange
Citrus bergamia, the Bergamot orange, is a fragrant fruit the size of an orange, with a yellow colour similar to a lemon. Genetic research into the ancestral origins of extant citrus cultivars recently matched the bergamot as a likely hybrid of Citrus limetta and Citrus aurantium...
, being rich in linalool (which is the main component in lavender), has more of an aromatic, soft, floralcy.
Production
The blossoms are gathered, usually by hand, in late April to early May. The oil is produced by water distillationDistillation
Distillation is a method of separating mixtures based on differences in volatilities of components in a boiling liquid mixture. Distillation is a unit operation, or a physical separation process, and not a chemical reaction....
, as the blossom is too fragile to endure steam distillation.
History
By the end of the 17th century, Anne Marie Orsini, duchess of BraccianoBracciano
Bracciano is a small town in the Italian region of Lazio, 30 km northwest of Rome. The town is famous for its volcanic lake and for a particularly well-preserved medieval castle Castello Orsini-Odescalchi...
and princess of Nerola
Nerola
Castello Orsini of Nerola.|thumb|leftNerola is a city and comune of 1,419 inhabitants of the province of Rome, Latium, Italy.-History:The name Nerola is probably derived from the Sabine word nero or nerio, which meant "strong" and "brave"...
, Italy, introduced the essence of bitter orange
Bitter orange
The name "bitter orange", also known as Seville orange, sour orange, bigarade orange, and marmalade orange, refers to a citrus tree and its fruit. Many varieties of bitter orange are used for their essential oil, which is used in perfume and as a flavoring...
tree as a fashionable fragrance by using it to perfume her gloves and her bath. Since then, the term "neroli" has been used to describe this essence. Neroli has a refreshing and distinctive, spicy aroma with sweet and flowery notes.
Use
It is one of the most widely used floral oils in perfumery. It is a nontoxic, nonirritant, nonsensitizing, nonphototoxic substance. More than 12% of all modern quality perfumes use neroli as their principal ingredient. It blends well with any citrusCitrus
Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
oil, various floral absolutes, and most of the synthetic components available on the market. Neroli oil is a classic element in fragrance design and one of the most commonly used in the industry. It is also used in flavors (alimentary) where it has a limited use. Neroli oil is also one of the key flavoring ingredients of some cola beverage recipes.
Neroli oil is reportedly one of the ingredients in the closely guarded secret recipe for the Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
soft drink.
As an essential oil used in aromatherapy
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is a form of alternative medicine that uses volatile plant materials, known as essential oils, and other aromatic compounds for the purpose of altering a person's mind, mood, cognitive function or health....
and massage
Massage
Massage is the manipulation of superficial and deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue to enhance function, aid in the healing process, and promote relaxation and well-being. The word comes from the French massage "friction of kneading", or from Arabic massa meaning "to touch, feel or handle"...
, neroli is considered to have a soothing effect on the nervous system. Traditionally, neroli oil was used not only to relieve tension
Stress (biology)
Stress is a term in psychology and biology, borrowed from physics and engineering and first used in the biological context in the 1930s, which has in more recent decades become commonly used in popular parlance...
and anxiety
Anxiety
Anxiety is a psychological and physiological state characterized by somatic, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral components. The root meaning of the word anxiety is 'to vex or trouble'; in either presence or absence of psychological stress, anxiety can create feelings of fear, worry, uneasiness,...
, but also to increase circulation
Circulatory system
The circulatory system is an organ system that passes nutrients , gases, hormones, blood cells, etc...
. A solution is made by adding three or four drops of the essential oil to one cup of either sweet almond oil or wheat germ oil. If the solution is to be used on children or pregnant women, only half the quantity of essential oil should be used.
See also
- NerolNerolNerol is a monoterpene found in many essential oils such as lemongrass and hops. It was originally isolated from neroli oil, hence its name. This colourless liquid is used in perfumery. Like geraniol, nerol has a sweet rose odor but it is considered to be fresher.Isomeric with nerol is geraniol,...
- Orange flower waterOrange flower waterOrange flower water, or orange blossom water, is a clear, perfumed distillation of fresh bitter-orange blossoms.This essential water has traditionally been used in many French and Mediterranean dessert dishes, such as the gibassier and pompe à l'huile, but has more recently found its way into...
- Petitgrain oilPetitgrainPetitgrain is an essential oil that is extracted from the green twigs of the bitter orange plant via steam distillation.-Production:...
- Citrus aurantiumBitter orangeThe name "bitter orange", also known as Seville orange, sour orange, bigarade orange, and marmalade orange, refers to a citrus tree and its fruit. Many varieties of bitter orange are used for their essential oil, which is used in perfume and as a flavoring...