About the Benefits of Orange Essential Oil in Soaps

Overview

Orange essential oil is an ingredient commonly found in natural soap products to provide distinctive qualities and aroma to an everyday cleaning agent. Essential oils can be pleasant, but also toxic when used at certain concentrations; however, consumer products typically dilute the strength of the oil and test it for safety before marketing it. Many advertisers may claim certain advantages, though you should be aware of the facts before purchasing or using any soaps made with orange essential oil.

The Facts

All essential oils are highly concentrated from their sources, so you receive every drop of benefit the original source has to offer. Orange essential oil is carefully distilled from the orange part of the peel using fine oils as the carrier. When orange essential oil is combined with natural soap ingredients, you have access to a cleaning product offering a pleasant scent.

Types

There are several types of orange essential oil, including bitter orange and blood orange oils. In general, orange essential oil is typically made from sweet oranges (sometimes called Seville oranges). Unless otherwise marked, you can expect you are getting sweet orange essential oil in your soap. Sweet orange oil is frequently mixed with other herbs or spices to enhance its aroma and effect.

Benefits

The scent of orange essential oil has a calming, anti-depressive effect. The aroma was found to produce effects similar to lavender oil, in a 2005 study published in Physiology & Behavior, which measured the stress levels of patients waiting to see their dentists.

Orange essential oil has also been used for centuries as a treatment to alleviate acne, dermatitis and eczema. However, no formal studies have been able to prove these effects to date.

Use

Skin works hard to keep the inside of the body healthy. Help keep skin healthy by taking advantage of orange essential oil's antiseptic properties. When tested in vitro, Bio Med Central reports that orange oil kills microbes and exhibits positive antibacterial effects. Some soaps take advantage of this fact by adding the essential oil to their formulations.

Warning

Orange essential oil is known to be phototoxic according to the Archives of Dermatological Research--meaning you may sunburn more easily after applying it to your skin. However, when this oil is mixed with other ingredients in soap, its photosensitive properties are greatly reduced. If you tend to sunburn, cover your skin or use sunscreen after washing with orange essential oil soap.