Orange, Bitter.

Most orange oils are cheerful and loud. This one speaks softly. Open the bottle and you meet a citrus so subtle and so nearly floral that you seem to sense the orange blossoms that came before the fruit.

It is the famous Seville orange, Citrus aurantium var. amara, the same tree that gives us Neroli and Petitgrain Bigarade. The rind is organically grown in Egypt and steam distilled rather than cold pressed, and that changes everything: cold-pressed bitter orange is a severe photosensitizer, while this distilled oil is not, so it is sun safe. Blending citrus and floral notes at once, it could almost stand alone as a single-note perfume, though a fleeting one.

Details

• Botanical name: Citrus aurantium var. amara
• Plant part: rind, organically grown
• Method: steam distillation
• Origin: Egypt
• Shelf life: about 1 to 2 years after opening

How to use

Diffuse it alone on a quiet evening, or pair it with Neroli and Petitgrain Bigarade, its siblings from the same tree. Always dilute it in a carrier oil at an appropriate dilution before use on skin, and keep it out of reach of children. Store it in the dark, refrigerated if you can, and decant a half-empty bottle into a smaller, full one to extend its life.

A softer orange, for those who listen closely.