Our organic Petitgrain Bigarade from Paraguay has a fresh, lightly floral, citrus aroma with leafy green notes. This oil is sweeter and less bitter and green than our organic Petitgrain Bigarade from Morocco. And although it does not contain any of the blossoms, the aroma is similar to Petitgrain sur Fleurs, and is a classic ingredient of Eau de Cologne formulas.[1]

Petitgrain Bigarade essential oil is steam distilled from the leaves and twigs of a specific evergreen tree that also provides five other oils: steamed distilled Neroli and solvent extracted Orange Blossom Absolute from the blossoms; solvent extracted Petitgrain Absolute from the leaves; steam distilled Petitgrain sur Fleurs from the leaves, twigs, and blossoms; and Bitter Orange oil, expressed from the fruit peels.

Since the 1860s when nearly all citrus orchards, except for Bitter Orange trees, were destroyed due to root rot and gum disease, it has been the practice to use the highly resistant root stock of this specific citrus, Citrus aurantium var. amara, to propagate Lemon, Sweet Orange, Mandarin, Grapefruit, and Bergamot trees.[2] Petitgrain Bigarade is a subspecies of the sour or Bitter Orange, Citrus x aurantium L., with 'bigarade' denoting it as the true sour, true bitter (bigarade) or Seville Orange subspecies.[3]

Petitgrain has been called “poor man’s Neroli” as it is less expensive than Neroli essential oil yet offers many of the same benefits and uses. Due to its high linalyl acetate content, the aroma of Petitgrain is often used in calming massage blends, nighttime sprays and diffuser blends, after-shaves, and preparations for oily and congested skin.