Sweet Orange Essential Oil

Sweet Orange Essential Oil has been used widely for hundreds of years. Its list of benefits is long and well researched. Traditionally it was used to lower stress levels, treat anxiety and depression, and promote positive feelings. It naturally boosts the immune system, helps with circulation issues, and aids skin infections. With its powerful antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant properties, it is no wonder orange essential oil has remained a favorite oil for so long! It makes a wonderful addition to skincare products and natural cleaners, and it can be used to improve your overall health by boosting the immune system, relieving anxiety, offering pain relief, and supporting healthy skin.

Anti-Cancer Properties
Orange essential oil has strong anti-tumor properties! (1) The oil is primarily composed of limonene and perillyl alcohol. Both of these components have powerful antioxidant and antimutagen properties that show chemotherapeutic activity in pancreatic, mammary, and prostatic tumors. (2) The oil also has anti-angiogenesis properties. (3) Angiogenesis is important for the survival of tumors because it allows better blood supply to the tumor itself, and it makes the tumor more viable by making it harder to surgically remove. Orange essential oil fights this process. This oil has also been shown to suppress the production of cancer in the liver, (4) and induce apoptosis (natural cell death) in leukemia cells and colon cancer cells. (5)(3)

Natural Pain Relief
Orange Essential Oil fights pain and inflammation better than eucalyptus and lemon essential oil. (6) It was found that when E.R. patients with limb fractures inhaled orange essential oil through a cotton pad pinned to their shirt at the collarbone, they reported less pain than those without the oil. (7) Another study looked at 59 patients who had prominent knee pain. Orange and ginger essential oils were massaged onto the knees of some patients, while a massage with only olive oil was used as a placebo. No oils and no massage were used in the control group. Both groups with the massage reported less pain, but participants who received the massage with essential oils reported even less knee pain intensity, less stiffness, and enhanced physical functioning of the knee, concluding that orange essential oil could help to alleviate short-term pain. (8)

Can Help with Anxiety and Depression
Orange essential oil has a mild sedative effect, it is calming, and it can be used as a motor relaxant. It induces physiological and psychological relaxation, (9) and it can even be used to calm a restless mind to help with insomnia. (10) It was effectively used to reduce anxiety levels in both rats and humans. (11)(12)(13) In an experiment testing the anxiety levels in a dental office, orange essential oil had a calming, mood-boosting effect, primarily in female patients. (14) Another study compared the blood pressures of two groups of individuals. One group went outside and got fresh air and the other inhaled diffused orange essential oil. Those who inhaled the oil actually saw a greater decrease in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure than those who went outside. (15)

Supports Healthy Skin
Orange essential oil is made by cold-pressing the peel of an orange. More vitamin C is found in the fruit peel than in the orange itself, making the essential oil a great addition to your skincare regime. Its high phenol and flavonoid content may be the reason for its high antioxidant activity. (16) Adding only a small amount to your creams or lotions can reduce the appearance of wrinkles, even out hyperpigmentation, and promote the production of collagen. (17)(18) Orange essential oil is also known for its ability to fight bacteria that cause acne and for its ability to help heal lesions in the skin caused by acne. (19) The oil is low in phototoxicity when used in small amounts, (20) but it is always important to do a patch test on your skin to see how your body reacts to the oil.

Antibacterial, Antifungal, and Antiaflatoxigenic
Orange essential oil has proven to be helpful in preventing foodborne illnesses. The oil inhibits the growth of many bacteria including v. parahaemolyticus, S. typhimurium, and E. coli. (21)(22) It showed strong antifungal activity against molds commonly associated with food spoilage, and it fights aflatoxins. (22)(23) Aflatoxins are toxic compounds produced by certain molds found in foods. They can cause liver damage and even cancer when consumed. All of these properties make orange essential oil great to have on hand to use in natural kitchen cleaner recipes and potentially in food preservation.

Insecticidal and Larvicidal
While orange essential oil smells absolutely amazing to us humans, it is not appealing to many bugs! It shows insecticidal activity against mosquitos, cockroaches, and house flies, (24)(25) and it can potentially be used to control subterranean termites. (26) The oil also has the potential to be used to control An. labranchiae, a mosquito suspected to be involved with the spread of malaria, (27) and Aedes aegypti, the mosquito that can spread dengue fever, chikungunya, Zika fever, and yellow fever viruses. (28) It has the added benefit of killing the eggs of Haemonchus contortus, a parasitic worm that feeds on human blood. (29)

With its many amazing potential uses, it’s a no-brainer that orange essential oil is on our list of favorites. How have you used the oil? Let us know in the comments below!



Sources:

1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/5090417/
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5597616/
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22935404/
4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12635690/
5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14758720/
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3521325/
7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5661347/
8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18534325/
9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25453523/
10. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2221169115001033
11. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20211673/
12. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22849536/
13. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6304613/
14. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11134689/
15. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24586839?seq=1
16. Antioxidant Activity in Citrus Fruit Peel Extractions
17. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27852613/
18. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4110621/
19. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23235794/
20. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6073409/
21. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0956713510001787?via%3Dihub
22. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20385194/
23. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0956713507002629?via%3Dihub
24. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23545130/
25. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11198181/
26. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17598551/
27. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2222180815608155?via%3Dihub
28. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S004060311500129X?via%3Dihub
29. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0926669015302806?via%3Dihu
30. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/fsn3.660
31. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30729524/

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