Petitgrain Bigarade.

At the end of a busy day, when the mind is still running through tomorrow's list, there is Petitgrain: fresh, sweet and quietly settling, a calm scent for the lamp-lit hours.

Petitgrain Bigarade comes from the bitter orange tree, Citrus aurantium L. ssp. amara, the same tree that gives us Neroli, and it is sometimes called Neroli Bigarade or Neroli Petitgrain. Ours is organic and steam-distilled, from Egypt. Arctander described its scent as pleasant, fresh-floral and sweet, reminiscent of orange flowers, with a slightly wood-herbaceous undertone and very faint but sweet floral dry-out notes. It can be used anywhere you would use Neroli, at a lower cost, and it turns up in deodorant blend recipes and in our own Reunité blend.

Details

• Botanical name: Citrus aurantium L. ssp. amara
• Method: steam distillation
• Origin: Egypt, organic
• Shelf life: about 2 to 3 years after opening
• Blends with: Bergamot, Cedarwood, Clary Sage, Geranium (the green geranium rather than Rose Geranium), Jasmine, Sandalwood, Ylang Ylang, all citrus oils

How to use

Diffuse it in the evening as a calming ritual, or add it to perfume and skin blends wherever you would reach for Neroli. Dilute it in a carrier before it touches skin, and keep it out of reach of children. Store it in the dark, refrigerated if you can.

Orange blossom's quieter sibling, for the end of the day.