Through steam distillation of the flowers of bitter orange, citrus aurantium of the Rutaceae family, two very interesting products are obtained, the essential oil, called neroli essential oil and characterized by a fascinating fragrance, and a special water, the orange flower or orange blossom water. Both, essential oil and water, are used for cooking to aromatize desserts, just a few drops are needed, but they are also powerful cosmetics.
Orange blossom water, cosmetic properties
Orange blossom water has soothing, antiseptic, disinfectant and antibacterial properties and is refreshing for the skin. Not only that, this flavored water is also a mild sedative and has a calming action (Namazi et al, Iran J Pharm Res, Summer, 2014), it acts by counteracting depression, stress and sadness (Xing et al, Phytomedicine, Dec 2015).
Orange flower water, uses and applications
Given these characteristics, you can spray the orange flower water as a tonic before applying your usual cream, as an aftershave, or you can spray the lotion even during the day on the face skin, to refresh and regenerate it. Orange flower water will be useful in case of acne-prone skin, irritated as after depilation, with couperose but also dull and dry. Here is an idea for a face mask in case of oily skin, pimples and black spots. Take two teaspoons of ventilated green clay and add as much orange flower water as you need to make a cream, apply the mixture on your clean face and let it work for 10 minutes, then rinse with water, spray a tonic and apply a cream. Instead, for mature skin, try to mix 3 tablespoons of oatmeal, which will help remove dead cells, a teaspoon of honey and two tablespoons of orange blossom water, apply on the face with a gentle massage and leave on for 10 minutes, then rinse. Moreover, this perfumed water can also be applied with a cotton pad on the eye contour area thanks to its moisturizing and soothing action. Also for the hair the orange flower water can be a real beauty treatment! Try to add a couple of tablespoons of this floral water to the water of the last rinse, this will make the hair scented but also bright and healthy.
Orange flower water, warnings
The only attention, when using orange blossom water as a cosmetic, is to avoid its application if you intend expose yourself to the sun to prevent the skin from becoming photosensitive. To avoid this, just use the floral water in the evening. As for all the floral waters that are sprayed on the face, also in this case make sure that the orange blossom water does not contain alcohol, which in the long run can irritate the skin.
