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Blood Orange Essential Oil: Properties, Uses and Safety
Blood orange oil smells like a sweet orange with a tart, berry-like twist. Here are its properties in plain terms, whether it’s phototoxic, and how to use it in diffuser blends and a homemade spray.
Cut a blood orange in half and it looks like a sunset: deep red flesh streaked with orange. The oil comes from the peel, not that red flesh, but it carries the fruit’s personality all the same: juicy and sweet like any orange, with a tangier, slightly berry-like brightness.
It isn’t known for the sun reactions that come with bergamot, lime or lemon, and it is a natural in diffuser blends and homemade cleaning sprays.
The short version
- Blood orange essential oil is cold-pressed from the peels of red-fleshed blood oranges. Our label lists it as Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil, the cosmetic-label name for sweet orange.
- Blood oranges are sweet oranges. Like other sweet orange oils, it is mostly limonene.
- Is it phototoxic? Sweet orange oil isn’t considered phototoxic, even cold-pressed, and blood orange isn’t on Tisserand’s or IFRA’s lists of sun-sensitive oils. Bitter orange is a different story.
- Our label still says to keep it off skin headed into strong sun unless well diluted. That’s a general caution, and an easy one to follow.
- Limonene reacts with air. Keep the cap tight and the bottle cool, and use it within about a year of opening, longer in the fridge.
What Blood Orange Essential Oil Is
Blood oranges are a group of sweet orange varieties, such as Moro, Tarocco and Sanguinello, with crimson flesh. The red comes from anthocyanins, the same family of pigments that colors cherries and blackberries, and it only develops fully when the fruit ripens through warm days and cold nights.
That climate shapes the peel, too. Ours is cold-pressed from the peels of freshly ripened blood oranges, picked by hand to keep their potency and fragrance, from fruit grown through hot, dry summers and cool, nippy winters. No additives, no fillers.
Why the label says Citrus Aurantium Dulcis
Cosmetic labels use standardized ingredient names, and Citrus Aurantium Dulcis is the one for sweet orange; dulcis means “sweet”. Botanists call sweet orange Citrus sinensis, and blood oranges are varieties of it. Don’t confuse it with Citrus aurantium amara, bitter orange: the first two words match, but it’s a different fruit, a different oil, and the one that is phototoxic.
Is Blood Orange Oil Phototoxic?
Not as far as the evidence shows. Phototoxic citrus oils contain furocoumarins, compounds that react with sunlight on skin and can cause burns and dark patches. Sweet orange oil is generally not considered phototoxic, even when it is cold-pressed, and blood orange belongs to the sweet orange family.
It isn’t on the Tisserand Institute’s list of phototoxic or possibly phototoxic essential oils, and IFRA, which sets the fragrance industry’s safety standards, doesn’t restrict sweet orange oil for sun exposure the way it does bergamot, lime, lemon and grapefruit. Blood orange has been studied far less than ordinary sweet orange, and some sellers add a sun warning to be safe, but there is no known sun limit for it.
The sun note on our product pages is a general caution we give for every oil. Blood orange itself isn’t known to cause sun reactions.
Don’t mix it up with bitter orange
Cold-pressed bitter orange oil is phototoxic, with a maximum of 1.25% on sun-exposed skin in both Tisserand and Young’s Essential Oil Safety and IFRA’s standard. If a recipe just says “orange oil” and you plan to wear it in the sun, check which orange it means.
Blood Orange Essential Oil Properties
Here is what the oil is like to use, in plain terms:
| Blood orange essential oil | |
|---|---|
| Plant part | Peel of red-fleshed blood oranges |
| How ours is made | Cold-pressed |
| Main aroma molecule | Limonene, typically about 90% or more of sweet orange oils |
| Scent | Zesty and juicy, tangy-sweet, slightly tart and berry-like |
| Place in a blend | Top note: bright up front, quick to fade |
| Phototoxic? | Not considered phototoxic |
| Shelf life once opened | About 6 to 12 months at room temperature, 1 to 2 years in the fridge |
Limonene does two practical things worth knowing. It is a natural solvent, which is why orange oil turns up in citrus cleaners. And it reacts with air over time, which is why a fresh bottle matters, especially for skin.
What It Smells Like, and What It Blends With
Blood orange is zesty and juicy up top, with a tangy sweetness and a slightly tart, berry-like brightness. It is calm and bright at once: the kind of citrus you diffuse to mellow the mood at home or at your desk.
A few diffuser blends to try, in drops for a standard water diffuser:
- Cozy winter: 3 drops blood orange, 1 drop Cinnamon. Cinnamon is strong, so one drop is plenty (more in our cinnamon guide).
- Deep and warm: 3 drops blood orange, 2 drops Frankincense (more in our frankincense guide)
- Calm evening: 3 drops blood orange, 2 drops Lavender
- Sunny afternoon: 3 drops blood orange, 2 drops Bergamot
How to Use Blood Orange Essential Oil
In a diffuser
Start with 3 to 5 drops in the water reservoir, at home or at your desk, whenever the afternoon needs a pick-me-up. Diffuse for 30 to 60 minutes at a time rather than all day, in a room with some airflow.
In a blood orange room or counter spray
For a sweet, just-peeled scent in the kitchen, bathroom or living room, mix in a 100 ml (about 3.4 oz) glass spray bottle:
- About 90 ml distilled water
- About 10 ml witch hazel or high-proof vodka (it helps the oil disperse)
- 20 drops blood orange, or 14 drops blood orange and 6 drops lemon for a sharper, cleaner smell
Use glass: limonene can soften some plastics. Shake well before every spray, since oil and water separate. Mist into the air rather than onto people or pets, and test on a hidden spot before spraying fabric, painted or varnished surfaces. Think of it as a room freshener: essential oils add scent, they don’t replace your cleaner.
As a sweet citrus body oil
Stir 6 drops blood orange into 30 ml (1 oz) of jojoba or sweet almond oil for about 1%, or up to 12 drops for about 2%. Patch test on your inner arm first, keep it away from your eyes, and use a fresh bottle: oxidized citrus oil is far more likely to irritate.
What about the health claims you see online?
Search “benefits of blood orange essential oil” and you will find lists about mood, skin and more. A lot of blood orange research is about the juice and its red pigments, which you drink, not the peel oil you diffuse, and much of the rest comes from small studies. In the U.S., an oil sold to treat a health problem is regulated as a drug; ours is sold for its scent, and we don’t make health claims for it. If you are managing a health condition, talk with your doctor.
Using It Safely
- Dilute for skin, every time. Our label notes it can irritate at full strength. About 1 to 2% is plenty.
- Keep it fresh. Oxidized limonene is a well-documented skin allergen. Keep the cap tight and count from the day you open it: about 6 to 12 months at room temperature, or 1 to 2 years in the fridge.
- Don’t swallow it, and keep it away from the eyes. Wash your hands after handling it.
- Children: keep the bottle out of reach, and check with your pediatrician before using any essential oil on or near babies and toddlers.
- Pets: the ASPCA lists the orange as toxic to dogs, cats and horses and names its essential oils as one reason. Diffuse only briefly around cats, in a ventilated room they can leave, wipe sprayed surfaces dry, and never put oils on a pet’s skin or fur.
- Pregnancy and medical care: check with your doctor if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or under a doctor’s care.
- Sun: follow our label and keep it off skin headed into strong sun unless it’s well diluted.
How to Choose a Good Blood Orange Oil
A few things on the label tell you a lot:
- The plant: sweet orange, Citrus sinensis or Citrus Aurantium Dulcis, not bitter orange (amara), and not “orange fragrance”.
- The part and the method: peel, cold-pressed.
- Dark glass: light and air break oils down. A clear plastic bottle is a red flag.
- Independent standards: our oils are Grade A, Certified ToxicFree® and Leaping Bunny certified. Here is what ToxicFree® certification means.
The Bottom Line
Blood orange is the friendly citrus: sweet, tangy and a little berry-bright, lovely with cinnamon or frankincense and perfect for a homemade spray. Unlike bitter orange, it isn’t known to be phototoxic. Dilute it for skin, keep it fresh, and it will make any room feel sunny.
FAQ: Blood Orange Essential Oil
Is blood orange essential oil phototoxic?
It isn’t known to be. Blood oranges are sweet oranges, and sweet orange oil isn’t considered phototoxic, even cold-pressed. Bitter orange oil is phototoxic, so don’t confuse the two.
What are the properties of blood orange essential oil?
It is a cold-pressed peel oil, mostly limonene, with a zesty, juicy, tangy-sweet and slightly berry-like scent. It is a top note that fades fast, blends well with spice and resin, and oxidizes over time, so keep it fresh.
Can I make a blood orange oil spray?
Yes. In a 100 ml glass spray bottle, mix about 90 ml distilled water, 10 ml witch hazel or high-proof vodka and 20 drops blood orange. Shake before each spray and mist into the air.
Is blood orange oil safe around cats and dogs?
Be careful. The ASPCA lists the orange as toxic to cats and dogs because of its essential oils and psoralens. Diffuse only briefly in a ventilated room your pet can leave, and never apply oils to a pet.
How long does blood orange essential oil last?
Counting from the day you open it, about 6 to 12 months at room temperature, or 1 to 2 years tightly capped in the fridge. If it smells flat or “off”, replace it.
Sources
- Tisserand R, Young R. Essential Oil Safety: A Guide for Health Care Professionals, 2nd edition. Churchill Livingstone / Elsevier, 2014.
- Tisserand Institute — Phototoxicity: essential oils, sun and safety.
- Tisserand Institute — Citruses: a comparison of different oils.
- IFRA Standards — Citrus oils and other furocoumarins containing essential oils; Bitter orange peel oil expressed (Amendment 49, 2020).
- Matura M, Goossens A, et al. “Oxidized citrus oil (R-limonene): a frequent skin sensitizer in Europe.” Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 47(5), 709–714 (2002).
- Tisserand R. “Lemon on the rocks: keep your essential oils cool.” roberttisserand.com, 2013.
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center — Orange (toxic and non-toxic plants list).
- U.S. Food & Drug Administration — Aromatherapy.
Product spotlight
Every Chaé essential oil is 100% pure, Grade A, Certified ToxicFree® and Leaping Bunny certified, with the plant named on the label. Start with blood orange, then add a spice or a resin.
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