Neroli: the bitter orange blossom oil of classic colognes

Where does neroli come from?

Neroli comes from the blossom of the bitter orange tree, Citrus aurantium subsp. amara. By the end of the 17th century, Anne Marie Orsini, princess of Nerola, had made the essence fashionable by perfuming her gloves and her bath with it, and the oil has carried her title ever since. According to Wikipedia's article on neroli, Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt are the leading producers today.

The blossoms are gathered, usually by hand, from late April to early May, then steam-distilled. The same distillation yields orange flower water, the clear aromatic by-product used in desserts from France to the Maghreb.

What does neroli smell like?

Neroli smells sweet and honeyed, somewhat metallic, with green and spicy facets. Blossom absolutes made by solvent extraction or enfleurage smell sweeter, warmer and more floral: that is the material perfumers call orange blossom. The difference comes from the extraction process, not from the flower itself.

What does neroli do in a perfume?

Neroli is one of the most widely used floral oils in perfumery, yet it sits in the citrus family. It blends well with any citrus oil, with various floral absolutes and with most synthetic materials. It belongs to the citrus heart of eau de Cologne, listed in the history of eau de Cologne next to bergamot and lemon. The same tree gives petitgrain, distilled from its leaves and twigs.

What should you know about neroli?

Like many raw materials, neroli can cause sensitisation because of its high content of terpenes such as linalool, limonene, farnesol, geraniol and citral. Under EU Regulation 2023/1545, bitter and sweet orange flower oils share one label name, Citrus Aurantium Flower Oil, required on a cosmetic's ingredient list above 0.001% in leave-on products. The class on the history of perfume places eau de Cologne in its historical context.