soapformulator
EN
Citrus sinensis

Sweet 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:

Citral
0.15 %

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 Dulcis Peel Oil

Botanical name
Citrus sinensis
CAS
8008-57-9

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

Sweet orange oil is pressed from the peel of Citrus sinensis, mainly in Brazil (EFSA); Brazil, the United States and Mexico are the main suppliers to Europe (CBI). It is one of the cheapest essential oils and smells of fresh orange peel.

Ordinary orange oil fades fast in cold process soap: Faiola finds it disappears altogether, and Failor finds it gone within weeks. Redistilled, concentrated grades sold as 5-fold or 10-fold last (Faiola), and so does orange anchored with other citrus, lemon-scented grasses or resins (Grosso). Faiola uses 10-fold orange at 0.6 to 4 % of the oils, Cable plain orange at 0.8 to 3.1 %. The IFRA figure on this page is the ceiling.

Sweet orange is not phototoxic. It is up to 95 % limonene, and oxidised limonene is a sensitiser of high concern (SCCS), so keep the bottle cold, full and closed and use it within months (Cavitch).

Recipes that use it

Sources

All essential oils