Tangerine (Calabria) Essential Oil

TANGERINE (CALABRIA) ESSENTIAL OIL

Manufacturer: CAPUA 1880

Botanical name: Citrus reticulata x Citrus sinensis

Plant part: Peels

Country of origin: Calabria (Italy)

Country of manufacturing: Calabria (Italy)

Extraction method: Steam distillation

DESCRIPTION

The Tangerine Essential Oil from Calabria by CAPUA1880 is a citrusy essence with a sweet and sunny character, extracted from the peel of Citrus reticulata** x C. sinensis** fruits. Tangerine belongs to the mandarin group, but has characteristics that bring it closer to sweet orange, and this dual nature is reflected in its fragrance, which is softer and rounder than that of a traditional citrus fruit.

The name refers to Tangier, the Moroccan port from which these fruits travelled to Europe and the Americas in the nineteenth century. In the Mediterranean, citrus fruits have a centuries-old history, and Calabria is one of their most important growing regions: the mild climate, significant temperature variation between day and night, soils and proximity to the sea favour fruits with essence-rich peels and a particularly expressive aromatic profile. It is within this context that CAPUA1880 operates, a company closely linked to the Calabrian citrus-growing tradition, bringing to the production of essential oils for perfumery, cosmetics and aromatherapy expertise built up over time.

The oil is obtained by cold pressing the pericarp, an exclusively mechanical process that preserves the most delicate and volatile molecules and delivers an odour highly faithful to the fresh fruit. It appears as a fluid liquid with an intense yellow-orange colour and a juicy, sugary aroma. Chemically, it is dominated by limonene, generally exceeding 90%, accompanied by minor terpenes such as γ-terpinene, myrcene, pinene and sabinene. Completing the profile, in very small but decisive quantities, are linalool, aldehydes such as sinensal and decanal, and methyl N-methylanthranilate, characteristic of mandarins, which provides an almost floral and subtly grape-like nuance that distinguishes tangerine from sweet orange.

PERFUMERY

In fragrance, Tangerine is immediately recognisable for its lively, fleshy and sugary top note, less acidic than lemon and bergamot and more enveloping than sweet orange. As the opening softens, a delicate floral and slightly ambery nuance remains, adding roundness and removing any sharpness from the composition. Like all expressed citrus oils, it has limited substantivity: on skin it fades within a few minutes, while on a blotter it lasts for a few hours. Its role is therefore that of a highly impactful top note, capable of opening a fragrance with immediacy, adding juiciness and volume to a hesperidic accord and softening fresh accords, while making sweet compositions more indulgent.

Its versatility makes it useful across many olfactory families. In hesperidic and cologne compositions, it is an ideal foundation for sunny and modern freshness, where it blends with bergamot, lemon, neroli, petitgrain and lavender. In fougère compositions, it softens the aromatic opening, creating a smooth bridge between lavender, geranium and the oakmoss and coumarin base. In floral compositions, it enhances orange blossom, neroli and white flowers, while in the presence of tiare or gardenia it creates tropical-style openings. In gourmand and fruity compositions, it works with vanilla, tonka, lactones and milky notes to build creamy and caramelised accords, while with peach, apricot and apple it amplifies juiciness. In woody and ambery compositions, it softens the austerity of cedar and sandalwood and brings light to labdanum and benzoin bases, while in spicy compositions it pairs with ginger, cardamom and pink pepper for warm and enveloping openings.

Olfactory family: Green

Olfactory pyramid: Heart note

AROMATHERAPY

In aromatherapy, Tangerine is considered one of the sweetest and most welcoming citrus oils, appreciated for its delicacy and for the serene atmosphere it can create. Traditionally, it is associated with feelings of lightness and good mood, and is often chosen for environments where a relaxed and convivial atmosphere is desired. Its most common use is ambient diffusion: in an ultrasonic diffuser, approximately 3 to 6 drops are sufficient, depending on the volume of the room.

Thanks to its sweetness, it is also well suited to evening blends, where it harmonises with lavender, Roman chamomile, petitgrain and sandalwood, while for mood-oriented blends it combines well with bergamot, sweet orange, ylang-ylang and geranium.

In aromatherapy tradition, sweet citrus oils are also used in gentle abdominal massages as part of a sense of well-being and relaxation.

COSMETICS

In cosmetic formulation, Tangerine is a shortcut to a product that simply smells good. A small amount is enough to give the base a fresh, sweet and clean citrus identity, the kind that is noticeable from the first impression and makes you want to try the product.