Petitgrain (Citrus aurantium) Essential Oil

Petitgrain Essential Oil

BOTANICAL NAME
Citrus aurantium var. amara

COMMON METHOD OF EXTRACTION
Steam distilled

PARTS USED
Leaves and twigs

NOTE CLASSIFICATION
Top to Middle

AROMA
Fresh-floral, citrus scent and a woody-herbaceous undertone

LARGEST PRODUCING COUNTRIES
France and North Africa

TRADITIONAL USE

Mostly used in perfumery.

Petitgrain oil can help with nervous exhaustion and stress-related conditions and in particular anger and panic. It calms and soothes the mind, while relaxing the body, easing breathing, reducing rapid heart beat, relaxing muscle spasms and stomach pains.

It is great oil to use for convalescing after an illness and also for insomnia and helps to clear up a greasy skin, acne and excessive perspiration, while toning the skin.

Petitgrain oil helps with nervous problems, soothes aches and pains, and helps clear and tone the skin.

Burners and vaporizers
In vapor therapy, petitgrain oil can help with convalescence, anger, panic, depression and anxiety, calming irritation, while relaxing the body and boosting the conscious intellectual side of the mind.

Blended oil or in the bath
As a blended massage oil or diluted in the bath, it assist with convalescence, anxiety, irritability, anger, panic, tension, rapid heartbeat, pain and insomnia, while calming and relaxing the body and fighting skin blemishes.

Cream or lotion
When used in a cream or lotion, it is very useful to help clear up greasy skin and to release the congestion of such a skin, while at the same time helping to clear up acne, pimples and other skin blemishes.

PROPERTIES
Antiseptic, antispasmodic, carminative, deodorant, nervine, stimulant, stomachic, tonic

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
The chemical components of petitgrain oil are geraniol, linalool, nerol, y-terpineol, geranyl acetate, linalyl acetate, myrcene, neryl acetate and trans-ocimene.


BLENDS WELL WITH
Benzoin, bergamot, cedarwood, clary sage, clove, cypress, eucalyptus lemon, frankincense, geranium, jasmine, juniper, lavender, lemon, mandarin, marjoram, neroli, oakmoss, orange, palmarosa, patchouli, rose, rosemary, sandalwood, ylang ylang

OF INTEREST
At first the oil was extracted from the small green unripe oranges. The name petitgrain comes from this, meaning little grains.

This is one of the three oils obtained from the orange tree, the others are neroli from the flowers and orange from the rind of the fruit.

Petitgrain oil is extracted from the leaves of the tree but was once extracted from the green unripe oranges, when they were still the size of cherries, hence the name Petitgrain or 'little grains.'

It is widely used in pharmaceutical products and perfumery and is the classic ingredient of eau-de-cologne.

SAFETY DATA
Generally considered safe.