The Fragrant Ambient Power Of Orange Blossom And Neroli

Orange Blossom And Neroli are often used by our master perfumers to enhance the plethora of ambient scents we provide to businesses and scent marketing companies the world over, but why are these exotic fragrances so popular and where do they come from?

This article explores the power of these two essential oils, why they are so favored by perfumers and how they enhance our many odor controlling, ambient scent marketing and fragrant air freshener products.

The Orange Tree Is A Boon To The Perfume Industry

Why? Because every part of it is integral to unique and wondrous exotic fragrances. Precious raw materials are found in the fragile and redolent white blooms, which are the source of both Neroli and Orange Blossom essential oils. They add an unforgettable, fresh and floral touch to classical perfume compositions.

Orange Tree Is A Boon For Perfume Industry

Both neroli and orange blossom essential oils derive from the same delicate white flowers of the bitter orange tree. Neroli in fact, is the name given to the oil extracted from the orange blossom. To make things just a tad more confusing, if the orange blossom and neroli oils are both derived from the same tree and the same harvest, in theory they should smell the same. But aye, there is the very fragrant rub, for the fragrances will differ depending on the origin of the flower. For example, an orange flower from Morocco will not smell like one from California or France.

Even for established ambient air-care providers, extracts from the bitter orange flower are very expensive and, in most cases, can only be afforded in small amounts. Neroli is almost always diluted because of its prohibitive cost. For those who may wonder why, consider that it takes one ton of bitter orange blossoms to make one quart of neroli oil! Costs start at about $100 per ounce. Fortunately, a little neroli oil can last quite a while and it blends well with other essential oils.

Fragrant flowers of bitter orange are used to create both Orange Blossom and Neroli extracts. While they do contain diverse olfactory features, the main distinguishing point between them lies in the process of extraction. Raw materials originating from the same source can have completely different properties thanks to advances in the world of industrial science and technology. Orange blossom absolute is derived by solvent extraction using alcohol washing and filtering while Neroli is obtained by the steam distillation of freshly hand-picked flowers. 

Every part of the bitter orange tree (Citrus Aurantium) yields a very interesting raw material that is utilized in perfume formulations. It is widely grown in the western parts of India, eastern Africa and across the Himalayan mountain chain. Neroli oil has a beautiful, fresh and green fragrance while orange blossom has a deeper and sweeter composition that is intense and intoxicating. Known as sour orange, this particular fruit is far too sour to be enjoyed as a healthy snack, but its distinct bitterness makes it much more fragrant than other varieties. 

Unlike Orange Blossom, Neroli’s fragrance is marked by sharper, more delicate tones with a top note that is pleasantly bitter, fresh, sweet and herbal in nature. Its fresh, floral aroma has become an iconic perfume component. Our master perfumers often rely on neroli and orange oil to add distinct and compelling tones to our unique compositions.

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A Brief History of Sour Orange

In the ancient kingdom of China, orange flowers were symbols of fertility and innocence. They were often traditional elements of wedding ceremonies. Brides of all cultures have always worn some kind of a floral arrangement on their wedding day, particularly to decorate their hair. This custom became so widespread that the expression “to gather orange blossoms” came to mean “to seek a wife.” During the time of the Crusades, the idea of using particularly orange flowers spread from the Far East to Europe.

The Spaniards brought sour orange to St Augustine, Florida, in the mid 1500s. By the year 1763, the English were importing these fruits in great quantities, establishing the state of Florida as one of the world’s largest producers of sour oranges. Since 1909, the orange blossom has served as the official state symbol, and in the springtime, millions of these fragile white flowers scent the air throughout central and southern Florida. As one of the most fragrant flowers in the world, orange blossoms have become vital materials in the perfume industry.

Fragrant Orange Blossom Absolute

The fragrant, concentrated mixture known as an absolute usually smells more like the original plant than essential oils because it has not been heated. Many plants can be used to create both essential oils and absolutes, but some ingredients are only available in absolute form because of their nature. It is the presence of a compound known as linalool found in the delicate white flowers that renders the floral aspect to both the essential oil and to the absolute.

Orange Blossom Absolute Flowers

Orange blossom absolute is very versatile and it is used in many different types of fragrances and colognes created by our ambient air-care specialists here at Air-Scent International. It is also integral to many chypres, ambers, floral bouquets, and heavy oriental families of scent. Its power lies in the fact that it is a natural fixative. This is an extremely valuable quality because the compound allows the original composition to last longer, and at the same time, maintain its true fragrance. 

Bitter Orange Blossom is among the most cherished of blooms. The youthful, radiant, and romantic scent of these delicate blossoms capture the natural beauty and wonder of springtime. Many perfumers consider Orange Blossom is a specialty oil because it is dense, rich and very potent even in smaller concentrations. In centuries past, it was revered as an exotic and very sensual scent. Its warm, floral and jasmine like aspects beautifully complement other citrus, floral and wood notes.

A Short History Of Neroli Essential Oil

This powerful and curative essential oil has been used for centuries to heal the body and the mind. It is believed that neroli might have originated centuries ago in ancient Persia, where it was used to perfume royalty and palace walls. From there it spread to the Mediterranean via the Moors of North Africa. It is said that the word, Neroli, may be derived either from the Arabic word for orange, naranj, or from the Sanskrit word, nagaran. By the end of the 12th century, bitter orange trees were cultivated everywhere in Seville, Spain, for the purpose of producing this highly desirable essential oil.

According to the most durable of legends, neroli oil derives its moniker from Nerola in Lazio, Italy, and particularly its 17th-century princess, Anna Marie-Anne de La Trémoille, wife of Prince Flavio Orsini. It was she who introduced the essence of bitter orange as a fashionable fragrance by using it to perfume both her gloves and her bath water. She loved the fragrance so much that she became known as “Princess Nerola.” 

Used in bath water or as perfume applied to clothing and stationery, in 1709, a famous Italian perfume manufacturer named J. M. Farina, began selling a rich floral scent, which was a secret blend of bergamot, lavender, lemon, petitgrain, rosemary and neroli essential oils. He called the creation Eau de Cologne and the rest is very fragrant history.

The Health Benefits Of Neroli Oil

Because of its soothing effect on mood, neroli oil is often used as an ingredient in aromatherapy applications. Some evidence suggests that neroli oil has benefits for conditions like: depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, headaches and insomnia.

When used in skin-care and hair products, neroli essential oil is believed to treat oily skin, reduce signs of aging, and diminish the appearance of scars and stretch marks.

Rich in antioxidants, neroli oil combats free radicals, which can soothe acne-induced inflammation and redness. Neroli also softens and replenishes skin by locking in moisture. Applied topically, bitter orange oil provides skin with a protective barrier to ensure a radiant and dewy complexion.

Benefits Of Neroli Essential Oil

A Few Facts About Neroli and Orange Blossom

Neroli Is Among The Most Precious Essential Oils

According to Dr Couic Marinier, “one ton of the plant is required to produce only one quart of Neroli Essential Oil.” The flowers are so delicate that even slight bruising can release their oil.

The Bitter Orange Tree Produces Three Different Essential Oils

Bitter orange oil is derived from the peel of the ripe fruit, petitgrain oil is pressed from the leaves, and neroli oil is distilled from the flowers of the tree. Of the three, neroli is the most valuable.

Three Areas Known For Orange Blossom And Neroli Production 

Production of neroli oil and orange blossom absolute concentrates are in Tunisia, Morocco, and Egypt. The Tunisian oil has the fresh floral note of orange flower and is reminiscent of freshly ironed linen. The Moroccan variety possesses the fresh floral sweetness of orange flower, but also has warm, green animal aspects. Egyptian neroli varieties are earthy, fresh, green and sharp. 

Neroli Is A Secret Ingredient In A Most Unexpected Product 

Once again, according to Dr Couic Marinier: “Neroli oil is even added to Coca Cola’s famously secret recipe.” 

Orange Blossoms Have Their Own Holiday

June 27th is National Orange Blossom Day and it is set aside to enjoy the aesthetic beauty of orange blossoms.

Scenting Interiors With Neroli And Orange Blossom

According to Bloomberg, in 2015, hotels spent an estimated $300 million in the scent-branding industry. Experts claim the hotel ambient scenting industry is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 3.6% from 2015 to 2020. Aroma branding is a marketing investment that has grown so rapidly that hoteliers offer signature scents from the day they open to the public. For some, the goal is to create a signature scent that is reminiscent of the hotel’s location. Examples include citrus aromas in South Florida and woodsy fragrances that might be found at a Colorado ski resort.

The Royal Palms Resort & Spa in Phoenix, Arizona, employs neroli as its signature scent, as it perfectly complements the citrus grove upon which the structure was built. The Setai Hotel in Miami Beach hired expert perfumer, Roja Dove, to create a neroli-based scent that incorporated tinges of Rose de Mai and Jasmine de Grasse. But they went a bold step further. In addition to releasing the fragrance throughout the hotel, the scent is also found in the hotel’s new line of bathroom amenities, which include: shampoo, shower gel, and a 24-carat, gold-lidded candle that sells for $125.

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Generally speaking, Green Tea and Sage is a very popular scent in Asia and international hotels all over the world featuring Japanese-inspired décor and cuisine. In this scent, orange is an important top note along with citron and lime. Blended with a rose, honeysuckle and geranium middle note, this clean, refreshing  scent finishes with a base note of warm, aromatic and woody sage.

The following are a just a few of the blended fragrances our master perfumers have created, each of which include either neroli or orange blossom: Green Bamboo, Island Blossom Guava, Neroli Citron, Yuzi Neroli, Pear Blossom, White Gardenia, Water Lily Passion Fruit, Genoa Lemon and Alma Flower And Honey.

Air-Scent Applications and Essential Oils

Our experts at Air-Scent have high-tech, state-of-the-art applications to suit the odor-control needs of any facility, large or small. We use only the finest essential oils for our three best selling ambient scenting diffusers, which are: The Aroma Beam, The Aroma Styler and The Aroma One.

The Aroma Beam Diffuser

This dry vapor scent diffuser is specifically designed to freshen interior areas up to 50,000 cubic feet. This non-nebulizing system (without wet vapor) is conveniently controlled via a smart-phone app for Android and iOS. It is perfect for ambient air-care in hotel lobbies, convention centers and other large spaces. The two, 30-day, specially formatted refill systems can plug into any standard wall outlet and there are many scents to choose from as well as three different mounting options.

Ambient Scenting Odor Control Products

The Aroma Styler HVAC Diffuser

This HVAC atomizing diffuser system comes in three application sizes and is powerful and easy to use. This Air-Scent product is ideal for ambient scenting, as cutting edge technology creates a vapor that is invisible and floats evenly across any large open space.

Ambient Scent Machines Event Arenas

The Aroma One Small Area Diffuser

This fan air freshener is an odor-neutralizing system, which annihilates airborne odors and at the same time, offers superior, linear, aroma enrichment for any small space. Some of its most desirable features include: the modern design with optimal air flow; its ability to hold many Air-Scent refill types, including bottles, liquid can and Solid Square wafers; its easy conversion from battery to electric and its clever nesting tray features such as the on board drip guard, ventilated refill holder and air flow retardant to lessen output when desired.

In conclusion

The bitter orange tree and its two superior essential oils are powerful inclusions in our many ambient air-care formulations. If you’re a business owner or manager, or you’re a scent marketing air care company looking for higher quality essential oils and equipment at competitive prices, speak with our scenting experts today and learn how we can improve the fragrance landscape of your commercial enterprise.



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