BITTER ORANGE ESSENTIAL OIL: PROPERTIES AND USES

Bitter orange essential oil is known for its countless properties: calming, antiseptic and tonic, therefore useful in combating anxiety, insomnia, cellulite, wrinkles and so on. The essence is extracted from the peel, flowers and leaves of this plant, through cold pressing of the dried fruits or by steam distillation. The essential oil thus obtained can be used in a thousand ways and, as we said before, for the most disparate uses, both internal and external. Let's see some of them, also paying attention to the contraindications to keep in mind.

HOMEMADE ORANGE ESSENTIAL OIL: HOW TO MAKE IT

If you don't want to buy the essential oil, you can prepare it yourself at home by working the peels with a rather simple procedure.

What you need:

• bitter orange peels
• vodka
• glass jar with lid
• filter cloth
• glass bottle
• tray

Here's the procedure:

• Wash and peel the oranges and leave the peels to dry on a tray for a few days.
• Cut the peels into small pieces and place them in a glass jar.
• Heat the vodka in a bain-marie and pour it into the jar with the peels until they are completely covered.
• Close the jar and shake for a couple of minutes. Repeat the operation 3 times a day for three consecutive days.
• Filter the essential oil into a small bottle with a kitchen towel.
• Cover the bottle with a kitchen towel so that the vodka evaporates. Leave it to rest like this for two days: the essential oil is ready!

BITTER ORANGE ESSENTIAL OIL FOR WEIGHT LOSS: INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL USE.

Let's first look at one of the internal uses of bitter orange essential oil, that of losing weight . Let's be clear: you don't lose weight by taking a little essential oil a day, but you need to lead a healthy lifestyle, eating a balanced diet and doing a lot of sports. The essential oil will help you reduce abdominal swelling, as it acts on the stimulation of gastric juices, stimulates the feeling of satiety and accelerates the metabolism: 2 or 3 drops 3 times a day will be enough.
As for external use, bitter orange essential oil can be used to combat skin irritations caused by cellulite . Dilute a few drops in your normal moisturizing cream and apply the mixture daily. Or, simply mix the essential oil with coconut oil and massage for a few minutes after showering.

BITTER ORANGE ESSENTIAL OIL ANTI-WRINKLE: HOW TO USE IT.

Among the external uses of bitter orange there is also the anti-wrinkle one, as this oil has skin relaxing properties. Here's how to use it:

• Dilute 50 ml of wheat germ oil with 10 drops of bitter orange essential oil.
• Apply before going to sleep 2 or 3 times a week.
• Alternatively, you can dilute two or three drops of oil in your moisturizer.

BITTER ORANGE ESSENTIAL OIL: HAIR CARE.

Not only skin, but also hair: bitter orange has an excellent effect on our hair, making it strong, shiny and full of life. How to apply it? You can mix a few drops in the conditioner or in a hair mask. You can also create a mixture with almond oil, apply it before going to sleep and shampoo the next day: your hair will be shiny, soft and bright.

BITTER ORANGE ESSENTIAL OIL: RELAXING PROPERTIES.

Finally, the essential oil extracted from bitter oranges is perfect as a relaxant, therefore useful against insomnia, stress and depression. In this case you can use it in various ways:

• Internal use: two or three drops of essential oil on a sugar cube 3 times a day.
• Ambient diffusion: dilute a few drops in the water of the radiator humidifier or diffuse the essence with the oil burner.
• Relaxing bath: dilute 10 drops in the bath water and enjoy the relaxation!

BITTER ORANGE ESSENTIAL OIL: CONTRAINDICATIONS.

There are basically two contraindications to using this essential oil: first of all, bitter orange oil is not recommended for those who suffer from ulcers and gastritis, as it stimulates the production of gastric juices. Furthermore, you need to be careful with external use: once the essential oil has been applied, you should absolutely not expose yourself to the sun , as the limonene present in this oil is a photosensitizer, so it could cause burns, redness and itching.

Discover also the properties of bergamot essential oil .