When orange tree reveals us its resources ….
Orange tree is full of different raw materials. From its leaves, we can extract “petit grain”. “Neroli” comes from its flowers, and essential oil of orange, from its fruits. All parts of the tree are treated to give noble raw materials for perfumery.
First, leaves give two type of “Petit grain” : essential oil and absolute. Essential oil is obtained by steam distillation, and absolute by solvant extraction.
Water allows to separate only the essential oil from a material (because oil mixes with water but not the other compounds as waxes, natural colorants …). Solvents allow to extract the essential oil plus waxes and colorants from the vegetal.
An essential oil is liquid, while an absolute is generally more stucky (because of the waxes which have been extracted at the same time).
Alike, flowers give three kind of products : essential oil, absolute and concrete. This is the same process as for leaves. Although, when flowers are treated by solvent extraction, they first give a concrete. Concrete is extracted with solvent to give absolute.
Concrete could be a solid or a stucky liquid. It depends on the quantity of waxes it contains.
Finally, fruit zest are only be distilled with water steam, giving orange essential oil.
Essential oil of orange is the most used oil worldwide, for perfume creation but also in medicine (for pills aromatization), food industry and house care.
In perfumery, essential oils, absolutes or concretes of orange tree are used mostly in Eaux de Cologne or Eaux Fraîches. Classified in the citrus family, this kind of scents are considered as top or heart notes. They are extremely volatile and evaporate very quickly.
Orange essential oil is a citrus, sweet note. “Neroli” (orange blossom) gives floral facets to a perfume, and “petit grain” is rather green.
(c) Laure BOYER , January 27th, 2012.