Is sweet orange essential oil edible? Find the answer to this intriguing question and know the uses of this oil to reap its beneficial properties.
Essential oils are extensively in use nowadays for aromatherapy or are famous as flavoring agents. Used for any purpose, there are several health benefits that come with them. Sweet Orange essential oil or commonly known as orange essential oil is the concentrated oil that is extracted from the peel of the oranges. It is done using the cold-pressing method, which squeezes the oil from the rind of sweet oranges. One of the most common uses of Sweet Orange essential oil is for aromatherapy as it is potent in alleviating mood and thereby reduces stress.
Is Sweet Orange Essential Oil Edible
While there are not many essential oils that are recommended for ingestion, but the sweet orange essential oil is edible if you consume it in limited amounts. You can consume only 1-2 drops of the essential oil in any dish, it’s most famously used in flavoring candies, soft drinks, and other desserts. If you exceed the prescribed amount, the oil can lead to side effects as serious as nausea, vomiting, and appetite loss.
Benefits of Sweet orange oil
1. Relieves Stress and Anxiety
Using sweet orange essential oil in diffusers can help people who are dealing with stress and anxiety. The sweet fruity essence of this oil can relax your nervous system and reduce your body pulse rate. Some studies have shown that the aroma of this oil can lead to the creation of a mellow environment. It eliminates negative thoughts and decreases stress hormones.
How to use
Add a few drops of this oil to your diffusers and enjoy its aromatic experience. You can even create a DIY room freshener spray by diluting the oil with water which can also help in fighting airborne bacteria.
2. Acne Treatment
All citrus lovers abide by oranges for healthy glowing skin. Oranges provide Vitamin C which is one of the most essential nutrients for a strong immune system and helps in achieving naturally moisturized glowing skin. Sweet Orange essential oil provides both antioxidant and antiseptic properties. While the antioxidant properties help in reducing the appearance of wrinkles and lighten skin, the antiseptic properties help in fighting the acne-causing bacteria.
How to use
Combine the sweet orange essential oil with other face oils, such as tea tree oil, and use it on your face to get naturally glowing skin. You can also take 1-2 drops of the oil on a cotton ball and gently dab on the acne-affected skin for spot-treatment.
Caution
Always do a patch test on your skin before applying any ingredient all over the face. The oil can cause inflammation in the skin if used in large quantities. Make sure you use very little of this oil and combine it with other face oils.
3. Pain Reliever
Sweet orange essential oil can act as a natural remedy for pain relief in joints and muscles. It helps in relaxing muscles and can be extremely helpful for pain that are due to inflammation.
How to use
Adding a few drops of this oil into any other carrier oil for massage can relax your body and alleviate the pain. Massaging it in the lower abdomen can help in soothing stomach cramps and other stomach issues such as constipation. You can simply diffuse the oil in your home and its antispasmodic properties will naturally alleviate pain.
4. Improves Exercise Performance
When inhaled, the oil has shown improvement in lung function and thereby reduced the running time. This will come handy to heavy exercisers or athletes to improve their exercise or game performances.
How to Use
You can inhale the oil by using it in a diffuser. Or you can pour a few drops on your wrists.
Word of Caution
Essential oils are highly concentrated and so, 1-2 drops of sweet orange oil is equivalent to one heaped spoon of orange zest. Hence, overuse of this in diet can cause digestive issues such as nausea and vomiting. Never directly ingest this oil as it can cause throat irritation.
