All about sweet orange oil

TABLE OF CONTENTS

citrus sinensis 

The oil is taken from the peel of the orange.

History

Mysteriously, although oranges were cultivated by the Chinese since 2500 BC, they don’t actually feature in written history until they arrived in Rome in the first century AD after an arduous shipboard journey from India.

The orange, like the orange blossom, is a symbol of innocence and fertility. Both the orange and neroli share their common history, neroli being the flower and orange being the fruit of the same tree. According to folklore, the exchange of an orange between unmarried men and women was a simple charm to invite love to blossom between the two.

In European courts they were stuck with cloves and carried as a pomander to dispel disagreeable odours and emotions such as depression and nervousness, as well as to bring more cheer into dreary winter days.

Effects

• For those who are too serious. Lighten up and laugh with joy.

• Sedative reputed to relieve muscle spasms, cramping, and indigestion.

• The aroma of orange essential oil is comforting and refreshing, joyful, tangy, sunny and soothing. Orange is always a favorite with children and adults.

• It is a happy scent, promoting ease in the family by soothing irritability, moodiness and frustration and increasing joy, harmony and creativity.

• Orange’s greatest claim to aromatherapy fame is its ability to affect moods and to lower high blood pressure. In fact, just sniffing it can lower blood pressure by a couple of points. It is also a good adjunct treatment for irregular heartbeat.

• Research at International Flavors and Fragrances, Inc., in New Jersey found that orange also reduces anxiety. You don’t even need to buy the essential oil; simply peel an orange and inhale its aroma. It is a sunny and radiant oil, bringing happiness and warmth to the mind. It helps people to relax and helps children to sleep.

Uses

• Although not as antibiotic as lemon, orange essential oil still has some value in fighting flu, colds, and breaking up congested lymph, especially when added to massage oil.

• The aroma of oranges is a favorite of children, and they will usually be more enthusiastic about an aromatherapy treatment when it is included.

• Using it as a massage oil can ease a bout of indigestion or overcome a light case of insomnia or depression.

• Cosmetically, orange is good for oily complexions, although essential oils with more sophisticated fragrances are preferred.

• Orange oil can be used effectively on the immune system, as well as for colds and flu and to eliminate toxins from the body.

• It is a good diuretic and is most useful in balancing water retention and obesity. Its lymphatic stimulant action may help to balance water processes, detoxification, aiding the immune system and general well-being.

Home use

Vaporize to help with colds and flu, nervous tension and stress and to create a feeling of happiness and warmth.

Safety precautions

Orange essential oil may cause allergic reactions in some people.

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