“And that orange made me so happy, as ordinary things often do” ~ Wendy Cope
Scientific Name: Citrus sinensis
Aroma: Fresh, fruity, sweet, and citrusy
Botanical Family: Rutaccea
Extraction Method: Cold pressed from rind
Key Constituents: Limonene, Myrcene
Oranges have an old history of being used to treat many bodily ailments. In 1498, Vasco de Gama, a Portuguese explorer, was on an expedition when his men became exceedingly ill with scurvy. The majority of his crew died, but those who survived the voyage sailed into a port and obtained oranges. Within a few days of consuming the oranges, the men began to regain their health. Today, oranges are one of the most common and popular fruits in the world; and account for more than 50% of citrus production, according to world atlas! Orange essential oil is obtained from the rind of the orange fruit. It boasts varying benefits that can support our bodies physically, mentally, and emotionally. These benefits come from the constituents within the orange peel. (If you do not know what constituents are, you may want to read my Constituents Made Simple post here.) Known as liquid sunshine, orange essential oil is definitely one of my favorites! I love how fresh and uplifting the aroma is. And most importantly, are all the areas it can support our health and wellness. Let’s look at the benefits of orange essential oil first!
Benefits of Orange Essential Oil:
Skin Benefits
Orange essential oil is wonderful for skin health, and it may be especially beneficial for your facial skin. Many people have seen their skin health improve by consistent use. You may have noticed that orange is a common ingredient in many facial care products. It is skin smoothing, wrinkle reducing, and fights cellulite. Orange essential oil may also help reduce blemishes for those who are acne prone, because it has antimicrobial properties. One study showed that orange and sweet basil essential oils were effective at improving acne lesions. The participant’s results were ranked good to excellent, with an improvement range of 43-75 percent!
Dental Benefits
Orange essential oil is wonderful for oral health! It has been shown to have antimicrobial effects on periodontopathic bacteria and dental carries bacteria. One study showed that it was found sensitive and contains compounds with therapeutic potential against periodontopathic bacteria. Another study found it to be effective against dental caries pathogens and contains compounds with therapeutic potential. Both studies agree that more research is needed. The research so far is very positive – certainly it is enough to consider adding it into your dental routine. Our family uses toothpaste and mouthwash that contain orange essential oil. I hope to see more future studies on this topic!
Emotional Benefits
Orange essential oil is a favorite for emotional support. It has been shown to uplift and calm the emotions. It is wonderful diffused to uplift the environment. Another great way to use orange essential oil is topically, this way you can continue to smell it and it gets into your bloodstream. It has even been shown to reduce anxiety in children awaiting dental procedures. This study showed that their salivary cortisol levels and pulse rates were reduced through aromatherapy. Orange essential oil is in my favorite emotional blend: Peace and Calming. By using this blend topically, it has helped me calm down emotionally multiple times. Orange essential oil is wonderful for helping the body to release negative emotions.
Cleaning Benefits
Orange essential oil has some wonderful cleaning properties and is quite effective at removing adhesive and residue to clean surfaces. It also adds a wonderful aroma to your natural cleaning products along with its cleansing boost! Orange essential oil cleanses and refreshes the air when diffused. It is a wonderful essential oil to grab anytime you need a deodorizer, as it is odor neutralizing! It is one of my favorite essential oils to diffuse in our home! It has a bright, fresh, citrus aroma that blends well with many other essential oils. (You can see the diffuser blends below for ideas on how to diffuse orange essential oil in your home.) It uplifts and brightens the environment with diffused. It truly leaves a fresh and bright citrus aroma wherever it is used.
Antioxidant and Wellness Benefits
When taken internally, orange essential oil contains antioxidants. Antioxidants are responsible for neutralizing free radicals within our bodies. If left unchecked, damage from free radicals can contribute to a wealth of health problems. Like cataracts, cancer, cardiovascular, and inflammatory disease. Orange essential oil is wonderful for supporting overall body wellness. When taking essential oils internally, it’s important to use an essential oil specifically labeled for internal use. I use and trust Young Living’s Orange Vitality essential oil.
Safety:
Orange essential oil is photosensitive – avoid direct sunlight or UV rays for up to 12 hours after applying. It can be used if heavily diluted: 12 drops of orange essential oil per 1 oz of liquid. Keep away from eyes and mucous membranes. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult a health professional prior to use.
Practical Orange Essential Oil Uses:
- Antioxidant and wellness support: Carefully place 2 drops of orange vitality into a capsule and top off with a carrier oil like olive or avocado. You can find the empty capsules I use here to make your own orange supplements. Add a drop or two of orange essential oil to your water or tea.
- Refresh and uplift the air around you: Make a simple room spray that contains orange essential oil to spritz on linens, furniture, or around your room. You can find several recipes to choose from here in my Spring and Summer Room Spray post.
- Natural “goo-gone”: Do you have some stubborn adhesive residue? Try some orange essential oil! Simply drop some directly onto the sticky and wipe it off. Repeat as necessary.
- Carpet refresher: Add 12 drops of orange essential oil to 1 cup of baking soda (mix well) and sprinkle onto your carpet, allow to sit for 30 minutes, then vacuum. (If you have kids, they will love sprinkling it all over the floor – I like to put it into these little shaker jars for easy use. You can find them on Amazon here.)
- Support facial skin: Enjoy the skin supporting benefits of orange essential oil by adding 10 drops to my Glow Facial Serum recipe. You can find the recipe here.
- Deter pests: Take your diffuser outside and diffuse my Bugs Be Gone recipe below. This is a great way to discourage unwanted visitors while having an outdoor picnic.
- Uplift your mood: Make an essential oil perfume and enjoy the aromatic benefits of orange, all while smelling lovely!
- Support oral health: Try using toothpaste and mouthwash that contains orange essential oil, and enjoy naturally fresh mouth and breath. We like using Young Living Thieves toothpaste and Young Living Thieves mouthwash daily for our oral health.
- Support emotions: Make my Sunshine Roller bottle recipe featuring orange essential oil. Men, women, and children will enjoy and benefit from this HAPPY blend! You can find the recipe here.
- Cleanse skin: Make my simple DIY Makeup Remover, which contains orange and other essential oils that are great for skin health. You can find the recipe here.
- Acne help: For some extra acne busting support, add 10 drops of orange essential oil to my Acne Roller recipe, which you can find here.
- Cleanse the air: Neutralize lingering odors by diffusing orange essential oil. It works for me every time without fail!
Here are some diffuser recipes to try:
Citrus Twist
2 drops orange essential oil
2 drops lemon essential oil
2 drops lime essential oil
2 drops grapefruit essential oil
Herb Garden
3 drops lemon essential oil
3 drops orange essential oil
2 drops rosemary essential oil
Be Well
4 drops orange essential oil
4 drops thieves essential oil
Fall Leaves
2 drops patchouli essential oil
5 drops orange essential oil
1 drop ginger essential oil
Orange Spice
4 drops orange essential oil
2 drops cinnamon bark essential oil
1 drop clove essential oil
1 drop nutmeg essential oil
Autumn Wreath
3 drops orange essential oil
2 drops cinnamon bark essential oil
2 drops clove essential oil
2 drops lemon essential oil
Crisp Breeze
3 drops orange essential oil
3 drops jade lemon essential oil
2 drops spearmint essential oil
Bugs Be Gone
2 drops lavender essential oil
2 drops lemongrass essential oil
2 drops orange essential oil
2 drops citronella essential oil
~ To see more essential oil educational posts, you can visit my Essential Oil Educational page here.
References:
- The History of Scurvy and Vitamin C, Carpenter, Kenneth (1981) Cambridge University Press
- The Aromatherapy Encyclopedia, Schiller, Carol & Dave (2012) Basic Health Publications, Inc.
- Essential Oils Desk Reference 8th Edition, (2019) Life Science Publishing
