Bitter orange oil
None of the restricted materials in IFRA's annex limits this oil in rinse-off soap.
IFRA maximum for soap
no IFRA limit in soap
Restricted constituents, at the typical levels IFRA's annex gives:
- Carvone
- 0.05 %
- Geranial
- 0.05 %
- Neral
- 0.03 %
- Geraniol
- 0.02 %
- Perilla aldehyde
- 0.02 %
Worked out from typical levels. A supplier's certificate for your lot comes first, and its figure is the one to follow.
Check a blend against its IFRA limits and list its allergens in the fragrance and allergen calculator.
How essential oils behave in soap, and how much to use: Scenting soap.
Identity and labelling
Citrus Aurantium Amara Peel Oil
- Botanical name
- Citrus aurantium
- CAS
- 68916-04-1
The EU names this oil itself as a fragrance allergen (Regulation (EU) 2023/1545, Annex III entry 351): it goes on the label by name above 0.01 % in a rinse-off product.
What it is and how it behaves in soap
Bitter orange oil is pressed from the peel of the bitter or Seville orange, Citrus aurantium. It is about nine-tenths limonene and most of it flavours liqueurs (SCCS), and it smells sharper, drier and more floral than sweet orange. The same tree gives neroli from its blossom and petitgrain from its leaves and twigs.
In soap it behaves like the other pressed citrus oils and fades within weeks unless something holds it. Faiola anchors volatile citrus with a sturdier scent of the same kind, such as lemongrass; Grosso adds lemon-scented grasses or resins, and Fisher a base note such as patchouli or cedarwood. Our books give no rate; Fisher's general start is 3.1 to 4.4 % of the oils, and the IFRA figure on this page is the ceiling.
Pressed bitter orange is phototoxic, so IFRA restricts it in leave-on products but not in rinse-off soap. Cheap lots may be cut with sweet orange (Capetti and colleagues).
Sources
- CosIng, the cosmetic ingredient database: CITRUS AURANTIUM AMARA PEEL OIL, European Commission
- Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 amending Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 as regards labelling of fragrance allergens in cosmetic products, European Commission. Annex, entry 351
- Opinion on fragrance allergens in cosmetic products (SCCS/1459/11), Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety, European Commission (2012). Bitter orange peel oil is pressed from the peel, about 90 % d-limonene, and used mostly to flavour alcoholic drinks
- Anne-Marie Faiola, Pure Soapmaking, Storey Publishing (2016). Volatile citrus anchored with a sturdier scent of a similar nature, such as lemongrass with lime
- Alicia Grosso, The Everything Soapmaking Book, 3rd edition, Adams Media (2013). Orange does not always last in cold process soap and benefits from other citrus, lemon-scented grasses and resins
- David Fisher, The Complete Photo Guide to Soap Making, Creative Publishing International (2018). Starting rate of 0.5 to 0.7 oz of scent per pound of oils; patchouli or cedarwood to anchor blends
- IFRA Standard: Bitter orange peel oil expressed (Amendment 49), International Fragrance Association (2020). Restricted for phototoxicity in leave-on categories; no restriction in category 9
- Capetti and colleagues, Adulteration of essential oils: a multitask issue for quality control. Three case studies: Lavandula angustifolia, Citrus limon and Melaleuca alternifolia, Molecules 26, MDPI (2021). Sweet orange added to bitter orange is a typical adulteration