The caravan proceeded slowly, enlivened by the ancient songs of the camel drivers. The merchandise was loaded on the backs of the animals and included fabrics, spices, whose aromas impregnated the nostrils of those who approached them, perfumes, but also fruits, including large orange spheres with an irregular skin. Finally arrived at the ports of the Mediterranean, the journey of the Silk Road could continue by sea bringing the precious goods to Greece and Italy. In particular, it was precisely on an island of this country, Sicily, that the load of orange fruits aroused the interest of a farmer who tried to plant the seeds on his plot of land. Thus was born the first cultivation of orange trees in Sicily, arrived thanks to the Silk Road. However, we have to wait several centuries for the orange tree to spread to other countries thanks to the sailors who sailed the seas and brought dreams and goods with them into the bellies of their ships. In a short time, the orange blossoms became the joy of every perfumer and pastry chef and the fruits of this tree an indispensable ingredient for flavoring dishes or to taste alone. Essential oils were created to capture the vital power of this very special plant. Today we are talking about one of these essential oils, the essential oil of sweet orange, or citrus sinensis, which is obtained by distilling the peel of these citrus fruits. Let's see how to use sweet orange essential oil for our beauty, but first, let's try to understand what science says about its properties.
Sweet orange essential oil, properties
The aroma of sweet orange essential oil is relaxing, both for the body and mind, and brings serenity (Dosoky et al, Int J Mol Sci, 2018). Not only that, this essential oil is anti-aging, therefore it counteracts the aging processes and helps to keep the skin toned and elastic (Dosoky et al, Int J Mol Sci, 2018). Orange essential oil is well suited for making body care cosmetics, especially for treating cellulite and fat accumulations. In fact, the essential oil of orange contrasts the formation of adipocytes, which are the cells of the adipose tissue that store fat (De Blasio et al, Int J Mol Sci, 2021). Finally, it has been shown that a massage based on essential oils allows to counteract the formation of subcutaneous fat and to reduce the waist circumference (Kim et al, Taehan Kanho Hakhoe Chi, 2007).
Body oil for supple skin
After a bath or shower, when the body is still damp, you can apply a body oil made with orange essential oil with slow massages, focusing especially on critical areas such as thighs, stomach and hips. In this way, you will benefit from the calming but also elasticizing and anti-obesity properties of this very special essence. In a dark bottle, pour 50 ml of sweet almond oil and 50 ml of hazelnut oil. Hazelnut oil is an oil that is easily absorbed, non-greasy, moisturizes and nourishes the skin and provides antioxidants that counteract the aging processes, while sweet almond oil soothes irritation, is emollient, improves skin tone and counteracts and prevents stretch marks (Lin et al, Int J Mol Sci, 2018). Add about ten drops of sweet orange essential oil, shake and your cosmetic dedicated to the skin of the body is ready.
