Mandarin 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:
- Methyl N-methylanthranilate
- 0.4 %
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 Reticulata Peel Oil
- Botanical name
- Citrus reticulata
- CAS
- 8008-31-9, 84929-38-4
- EC
- 284-521-0
The EU does not name this oil itself as an allergen to label, but some of its constituents may be: the fragrance allergen tool works them out for a recipe.
What it is and how it behaves in soap
Mandarin oil is pressed from the peel of Citrus reticulata, much of it in Italy, with Brazil also a source (EFSA). It smells sweet, soft and juicy, with a floral note that orange lacks.
Like the other peel oils it fades from cold process soap. Grosso uses its close relative tangerine to sweeten citrus blends, and Cable pairs mandarin with ylang-ylang. Anchor it the way Faiola anchors lime, with a sturdier citrus scent such as litsea, or with a base note (Fisher). Our books give no rate of their own; Fisher's general start is 3.1 to 4.4 % of the oils, and the IFRA figure on this page is the ceiling.
Mandarin is not restricted by IFRA as phototoxic. It is often faked with cheaper orange oil: ten of eleven mandarin oils bought online failed the ISO standard (Pierson and colleagues). Keep it cold, since citrus oils go off within months (Cavitch).
Recipes that use it
Sources
- CosIng, the cosmetic ingredient database: CITRUS RETICULATA PEEL OIL, European Commission
- EFSA FEEDAP Panel, Safety and efficacy of a feed additive consisting of expressed mandarin oil from the fruit peels of Citrus reticulata Blanco for use in all animal species, EFSA Journal (2021). Expressed from the peel; batches from Italy and Brazil; furocoumarins at trace levels
- Alicia Grosso, The Everything Soapmaking Book, 3rd edition, Adams Media (2013). Tangerine brings a sweetness to citrus blends
- Kelly Cable, The Natural Soap Making Book for Beginners, Althea Press (2017). Mandarin among the oils that blend with ylang-ylang
- Anne-Marie Faiola, Pure Soapmaking, Storey Publishing (2016). Volatile citrus anchored with a sturdier scent of a similar nature
- 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; base notes to anchor blends
- IFRA Standard: Citrus oils and other furocoumarins containing essential oils (Amendment 49), International Fragrance Association (2020). Mandarin peel oil is not among the restricted furocoumarin-containing oils
- Pierson, Fernandez and Antoniotti, Type and magnitude of non-compliance and adulteration in neroli, mandarin and bergamot essential oils purchased on-line, Scientific Reports 11, Springer Nature (2021). Ten of eleven mandarin oils bought online did not conform to ISO 3528; two were about 95 % limonene
- Susan Miller Cavitch, The Natural Soap Book, Storey Publishing (1995). Citrus oils are vulnerable after about six months