Updated 16 January 2024

Botanical characteristics

• Kingdom: Plantae
• Class: Equisetopsida
• Subclass: Magnoliidae 
• Superorder: Rosana
• Order: Sapindales
• Family: Rutaceae
• Genus: Citrus
• Part used: Zest
• Country of origin: Mexico, Brazil, Italy

Precautions for use

Caution! Sweet orange essential oil, extracted from the peel of the sweet orange, is relatively flexible in its use, but like all citrus essences, it has photosensitising properties that limit its use on the skin.

The preferred routes of application are diffusion and oral.

This essential oil is also over 90% allergenic, so people with a history of allergies should be careful.

Other precautions

Warning:

• Seek medical advice before use in people with asthma.
• Seek medical advice before use in people with epilepsy due to the high dose epileptogenic risk of this essential oil.

Cutaneous use:

• Sweet orange essential oil is irritating to the skin and should be diluted 20% in vegetable oil (20% essential oil and 80% vegetable oil) before application to the skin.
• Do not expose to the sun after application to the skin.

Diffusion:

• Pregnant women and babies can use it for atmospheric diffusion.

Contraindications:

• Sweet orange essential oil should not be taken orally for gallstones.
• Do not use for long periods if you have functional kidney failure.

Allergenic components:

Sweet orange essential oil contains almost exclusively biochemical allergenic components.

• limonene (≤90%)
• linalool (≤1%)
• citral (≤0.5%)
• geraniol (≤0.1%)
• farnesol (≤0.1%)

Note: It is best to test the essential oil before use (two drops on the crease of the elbow for at least 24 hours to check for a reaction).

Authorised users

Risks of use