Orange
November 2025
Think fruit and without a doubt, oranges alongside apples, will be first to pop to mind. Oranges are certainly the most commonly available and most sought after fruit on the market. We take them for granted, buy them in large bags, press them into a fresh glass of juice for breakfast, peel them and eat the flesh, savouring the refreshing and tangy splash of the juice filled pockets as they explode under the teeth. We make marmelade, candied orange slices. We dry them in the sun to weave them in crafts and chritsmas garlands and wreaths. Oranges are fully integrated in our life style.
It is a very different picture to that painted by my grand-father when he was a little boy. This was a long time ago, and we would need to time travel right through to the end of the XIXth century, at a time when society wasn't so deep in consumerism and children weren't expecting an avalanche of toys on Christmas day. His only present would be an orange, a rare and exotic gift, along with a bag of sweets. He would bounce the orange against the wall in an attempt to ripen and soften it. Whether this rough child play worked magic is debetable, but after all his was the only gift to be enjoyed in as many ways the vivid imagination of a child could create.
WHAT DRAWS OUR HEART SO IRRESISTIBLY TO THE ORANGE?
it merely takes one look at the orange to fall under its spell. The colour orange emerges from mixing red and yellow, the energies of excitement, motivation and happiness. By itself, orange promotes enthusiasm and creativity, a general sense of well being whilst balancing our emotions.
It isn't just its colour that makes the orange so unique. It holds many more secrets that keep us irresistibly drwawn to it. As we hold the orange, its zest feels waxy, smooth at the same time slightly grainy under touch. This thin outer skin hides the secretory cells, which under the pressure of a sharp knife or simply a finger nail, burst and release through the air the essential oil, which in turn hits our olfactory senses with minute fresh, invigorating sweet droplets. These are primarily made up of d-limonene, a monoterpene which makes up 90 to 95% of sweet orange, and is re-known for its invigorating, up-lifitng qualities. The key secondary components are Myrcene, another monoterpene with anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, Linalol, a terpene alcohol known for its calming and relaxing effects; citral, an aldehyde with a strong lemon scent, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.and neral and geranial, Isomers of citral, contributing to the overall citrus aroma with antimicrobial and antioxidant effects. There are countless more compounds present in the essential oil. Despite their often minute contribution, they play a vital role in defining the complex aroma of sweet orange as one that has been most popular and sought-after for many centuries.
It comes as no surprise that the orange bears the name of its colour as indeed its essential oil has on the mind a similar influence as the colour itself. Orange is happy and joyful. It demands nothing else other than share its up-lifting mood and support the mind in disengaging with bouts of depression, anxiety and stress. Orange wants to help with focus and concentration and on keeping a forward attitude on mastering level-headedness, calmness, creativity and joy..
After all, we all remember the well-known slogan
‘Life is Bright, Life is Orange’ !
Sweet Orange medicinal value is primerly directed to the digestive system, with a focus on the stomach, liver and intestine. It has the ability to smooth the flow of energy in those organs and is recommended when symptoms of poor apetite, nausea, vomiting. pain caused by abdominal distention point to imbalances of the digestive process involving sluggish digestion, constipation and irritable bowel symdrome. As the digestive flow is restored, orange may have an indirect influence on the health of the skin and is thus a useful ally in cases of acne or dermititis associated with a poorly digestive tract.
BLENDING
Orange is very social and loves everyone. It will happily mix with woods, flowers, gums, seeds, leaves, spices and fruits sharing its up-lifting and joyful mood. It will even get on with more pungent oils such as eucalyptus's and rosemaries, moderating their enthusiastic scent with a sweet and gentle touch.
Orange acts as a top note, is unfortunately very volatile and will be the first to leave the party. Using base notes such as vetiver, sandalwood, patchouli, middle notes such as geranium, palmarosa, rose, bergamot will help anchor orange and convince it to linger a little while longer.
Sweet orange essential oil ages quickly and the culprit is none other than d-limonene which prevails so largely in its chemical make up. It is an unstable compound which reacts quickly with air - oxygen - , light and warmth. Through the process of oxidization, it looses its colour and vitality within a few months or even more rapidly if the oil isn't kept in a cool and dark location. Newly distilled orange oil is naturally very vibrant in colour with a deep and wholesome bouquet which should fulfill our senses. The darker the oil is, the deeper and fuller its vitality will be. As it ages and as the weeks and months go by, the oil will turn pale and loose its aroma. Orange oil is best bought in small quantities and often.
Orange is present in Materia Aromatica very popular
Joie de Vivre
Yellow
Sweet Orange is also in the following blends:
Loo Drops
Santa's Spice
Even Temper - Meridian Blend for the Liver
Creaitve Contentment - Meridian Blend for the Stomach
Dynamic Presence - Chakra blend for the Solar Plexus
Energize - Indian Head Massage
Enjoy!