Sweet orange essential oil has skincare benefits.
Sweet orange essential oil is widely used in skincare products for its fresh, pleasant citrus aroma.
Sweet orange essential oil and its major component limonene have cleansing activity, antioxidant activity and are permeation enhancers.
This article will discuss:
- What is sweet orange essential oil?
- Why is sweet orange essential oil used in skincare?
- Aroma
- Cleansing activity
- Antioxidant activity
- Permeation enhancer
- Is sweet orange essential oil safe?
- Summary
- References
What is sweet orange essential oil?
Sweet orange essential oil, also known as orange essential oil, is extracted from the peels of the orange Citrus sinensis.
Sweet orange essential oil is composed of ~95% D-limonene and other minor compounds, including beta-myrcene, linalool, alpha-pinene, sabinene and others.
Why is sweet orange essential oil used in skincare?
There are many benefits of sweet orange essential oil in skincare.
Sweet orange essential oil is used in skincare for its aroma, cleansing activity, antioxidant activity and as a permeation enhancer.
1. Aroma
Sweet orange essential oil smells delicately sweet and tangy with the aroma of fresh cut juicy oranges.
As sweet orange essential oil ages and oxidizes, the aroma fades. So fresher sweet orange essential oil smells the best. You can almost smell the sparkles in very fresh sweet orange essential oil!
Sweet orange essential oil is in the citrus aroma family and is considered a top or a head note in perfumery.
Sweet orange essential oil smells great on its own, but it also blends well with other aromas, especially other citrus essential oils like bergamot, grapefruit and neroli blossom. It can add sweetness to formulas and help smooth out harsh aromas.
Sweet orange essential oil can also be used as a masking agent, and cover-up unpleasant odors.
The aroma of sweet orange essential oil is very calming and smelling orange essential oils may reduce anxiety and improve mood (Goes et al, 2012; Jafarzadeh et al, 2013; Lehrner et al, 2000; Lehrner et al, 2005; Rashidi-Fakari et al, 2015).
2. Cleansing activity
Sweet orange essential oil is composed of ~95% D-limonene, which is used as a cleanser and a degreaser.
Sweet orange essential oil and limonene are gentle, yet powerful cleaners that are reputed to effectively remove grease, tar, oil, soot, grime and soils.
Limonene is a cleanser and a degreaser. Orange essential oil and limonene are used as solvents in water-free hand-cleansers at a concentration of about 10% (Karlberg et al, 1997).
Its mildness has made orange essential oil and limonene popular ingredients in water-free hand soaps, as they not only cleanse, but also leave hands smelling fresh.
3. Antioxidant activity
Orange essential oil and its main component limonene have antioxidant activity.
Antioxidants work by preventing free radical damage.
Free radicals are unstable molecules or atoms that can cause damage.
Free radicals are generated by daily environmental damage - such as UV radiation from the sun and air pollution.
Antioxidants can stop unstable free radicals.
Orange essential oil has demonstrated antioxidant activity (González-Mas et al, 2019; Lin et al, 2021; Li et al, 2022),
Limonene also has antioxidant activity (Anandakumar et al, 2021).
Antioxidants can increase the shelf life of skincare products by keeping the ingredients fresh longer. For instance, antioxidants prevent fat and lipid oxidation in carrier oils.
Orange essential oil and limonene may increase product shelf life (Bora et al, 2020; Xu et al, 2021).
Limonene has been shown to inhibit lipid oxidation and is being investigated to extend shelf-life in food products (reviewed by Bora et al, 2020).
4. Permeation enhancer
The delivery of active ingredients into the skin is a challenge.
Permeation enhancers help the skin absorb active ingredients.
More specifically, permeation enhancers are substances that improve the absorption of drugs or active ingredients through the skin by increasing skin permeability.
Sweet orange essential oil is made of ~95% D-limonene, which is a permeation enhancer (Mendanha et al, 2017) and can boost absorption of nutrients and active ingredients (Valgimigli et al, 2012).
Learn more: Limonene is a Permeation Enhancer
Is sweet orange essential oil safe?
Citrus essential oils are non-toxic, non-mutagenic, and non-carcinogenic (Tisserand et al, 2014; Dosoky 2018).
Orange essential oil has GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status. However, there is a possible skin sensitization issue if old or oxidized oil is used (Tisserand et al, 2014).
Expressed orange oil was neither irritating nor sensitizing to 25 volunteers when tested at 8 and 100% (Opdyke et al, 1974), whereas it caused sensitivity to 0.13% of total dermatitis patients when tested at 2% (Rudzki et al, 1976).
Sweet orange essential oil is composed of ~95% D-limonene.
Pure limonene is safe for most people to use, when it is properly diluted.
Old or oxidized limonene may cause irritation in people with dermatitis or other skin issues.
Always choose fresh products and avoid the use of old or expired products that contain limonene.
Read more: Is Limonene Safe for Skin?
Summary
There are many benefits of sweet orange essential oil in skincare.
Sweet orange essential oil is widely used in skincare products for its fresh, pleasant citrus aroma.
Sweet orange essential oil and limonene have cleansing activity and are common ingredients in cleansers, especially hand cleansers.
Sweet orange essential oil and limonene also have antioxidant activity and protect ingredients against oxidative damage. Sweet orange essential oil and limonene may also extend product shelf life of skincare products.
Sweet orange essential oil and limonene are permeation enhancers and may boost absorption of active ingredients into the skin, including vitamins.
Sweet orange essential oil and limonene are safe for most people to use in skincare.
We use cold-pressed, sweet orange essential oil (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck) that is wild grown in the Dominican Republic in our Dry Skin Love Wild Orange Oil to Milk Face Cleanser & Mask.
References
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Author Information
Dr. Natasha Ryz is a scientist, skin care expert and an entrepreneur. She is the founder of Dry Skin Love Skincare, and she creates skincare products for beauty, dry skin and pain relief.
Dr. Ryz has a PhD in Experimental Medicine from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, and she is a Vanier scholar. She also holds a Master of Science degree and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg.
Natasha is the former Chief Science Officer of Zenabis Global, and she oversaw cannabis extraction, analytics, and product development. Her team brought 20 products to market including oils, sprays, vapes and softgels.
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