The happiest scent in nature — and a fruit that in Greek took the name of the country it came from.

What is orange?

Sweet orange (Citrus sinensis, in cosmetics often Citrus aurantium dulcis) is the fruit of an evergreen tree of the rue family, a hybrid of pomelo and mandarin. Skin care uses three of its products: the juice, rich in vitamin C and fruit acids; the dried peel, ground to a powder; and the essential oil, cold-pressed from the peel and 90–95% limonene. The peel is also rich in flavonoids such as hesperidin.

What are the benefits of orange?

Orange is the bright side of citrus: less sharp than lemon, sweeter and warmer. In skin care:

• Scents with a sweet, cheerful citrus note
• Gives a feeling of freshness and renewal
• Offers vitamin C and flavonoids with antioxidant activity
• Peel powder has a gently exfoliating texture
• Helps the skin look brighter

From Portugal to “portokali”

The sweet orange reached Europe in the 15th–16th centuries with Portuguese navigators, who brought it from Asia. That is why in Greek it is called “portokali”, in Turkish portakal and in Arabic burtuqal — while the older bitter orange had arrived centuries earlier with the Arabs. Bitter-orange blossom gives neroli, one of the most precious scents in perfumery.

Where does it come from?

Orange originates in South-East Asia and southern China. Today the main producers are Brazil, China, the USA (Florida, California) and Spain, while in Greece it is grown mainly in the Argolid, Laconia, Arta and Crete.