In making this blend I went down the rabbit hole of Citrus aurantium. To begin with, it is so important to use the botanical name when referring to an essential oil. This is because the common name could refer to different oils with drastically different properties, case in point Helichrysum: Helichrysum gymnocephalum and Helichrysum italicum (more on those later). It is also important to make note of the part of the plant used for the oil, case in point: Petitgrain.
The botanical name of Petitgrain is Citrus aurantium. However, Citrus aurantium is also the botanical name of Neroli (Citrus aurantium) and Bitter Orange (Citrus aurantium amara). Petitgrain is steam distilled from the leaves of the Bigardia aka Bigarade aka Seville aka Bitter Orange Tree. Neroli is steam distilled from the flowers of the same tree, and Bitter Orange is cold-pressed from the peel of the fruit from the same tree.
Petitgrain is calming, uplifting, emotionally balancing, and helps with stress. It is also great for skin (antiseptic, antimicrobial, balances sebum) and relaxes muscle spasms. Petitgrain is often substituted for Neroli because they have similar properties, but Neroli is much, much more expensive. Enjoy!
