Neroli
Neroli - also known as Orange blossom essential oil, Citrus aurantium.
Neroli is an essential oil made from the flowers of the Bitter Orange Tree (Citrus Aurantium). It has a similar scent to bergamot, another citrus used in food flavoring. Neroli is produced by water distillation as opposed to steam distillation - as the fragrance is too delicate and would be denatured by the higher temperatures of steam.[1]
Neroli essential oil, made only from the flowers, should not be confused with Petitgrain, which is made from the leaves of the same tree.
The scent of Neroli is said to be an aphrodisiac and it is one of the most widely used floral oils in perfume manufacture, often being used as a primary ingredient. It is also used in aromatherapy - being indicated to ease tension and increase circulation, and as a beverage flavoring. [1]
History of Neroli
The essential oil Neroli is said to gain its name from the fact that it was used by Anne Marie Orsini, the princess of Nerola, Italy - who is believed to have introduced the fragrance to fashionable use. She added it to her bath and used it to perfume her gloves. [1] Anne Marie Orsini, also known as Madame de Orsins, was an influential and ambitious political figure in the affairs of France and Spain and lived from 1642 to 1722. [2]
As Orsini was a political player in the affairs of the French and Spanish royal courts, one can imagine that she might have availed herself of whatever aphrodisiac she could - yet even if this were true, it does not explain the aphrodisiac legend surrounding Neroli.
By 1750 Neroli appears in various encyclopedias and scientific books, particularly in French. It is described as having a pleasing fragrance. In the 1755 Chimie Médicinale of Paul Jacques Malouin, neroli is described as being the essential oil of orange flowers, good for conditions of the nerves; and no mention is made of bitter orange, Citrus Aurantium. [3]
This is typical of the writers of the period; and even in the 19th century we find no mention of Bitter Orange. Seville Orange perhaps - but it appears that the use of Citrus Aurantium, as opposed to orange flowers in general, may be a more modern invention; or an error. Similarly, the 1735 Histoire générale des drogues simples et composeés of Pierre Pomet, makes no mention of which variety of orange blossom was used to make the oil:
"Those who distil the Orange Blossom, draw a clear and extremely fragrant oil, which perfumers gave the name Neroli, of which the most perfect is made in Rome, and after that in Provence."
The text speaks of Neroli as if it is no modern invention - and gives no indication of the origins of the oil in perfumery, nor of whether it has any aphrodisiacal quality.
Digging deeper... Gilles Menage's 1694 work Dictionnaire etymologique ou Origines de la langue françoise (Etymological dictionary of the origins of the French language) states that Gloves of Neroli are "a type of perfumed glove, named after the Princess of Neroli, also known as the Duchess of Bracciano, who was the first to so perfume them." This work copies the entry on Neroli from Menage's Italian etymological dictionary of 1685.
Both these editions borrow from an earlier work of Menage: the 1672 Observations sur la langue françoise, which has an entry amusingly entitled Whether one should say 'Gloves of Neroli' or 'Gloves of Nerola'. It goes on to state (translated par moi from the French):
"One should say 'Gloves of Neroli'. This is what the gloves are called in France; whereas in Italy, from whence they originated, one calls them guanti de Nerola after the Princess of Nerola, now the Duchesse de Braciane, who invented the perfume. The Italians have similarly named 'gloves of Frangipani' the gloves of which the perfume was invented by the Marquis of Frangipane."
The practice of adding perfume to gloves itself, clearly was not invented by Orsini, but the naming of the essential oil of orange flowers "Neroli" in her honour appears to be validated. Gilles Ménage had already described Gands de Frangipani - gloves perfumed with Frangipani - in his 1650 Les Origines de la Langue Françoise.
The use of orange flowers in perfumery and medicine, however, is older. Eau de fleurs d'orange (orange flower water) is mentioned at least as far back as 1648 - being one of several floral waters in use in those days. [4]
Essential oil of orange flowers, too, appears to have been in use before acquiring the name Neroli: Madeleine de Scudery's 1663 Almahide, ou l'esclave reine (p.512-3) provides a glorious list of perfumes, of which essential oil of orange flowers is one.
The solution seems obvious: Anne Marie Orsini most likely did not "invent" the Neroli oil, but popularized its used among the European aristocracy. Its use may even go back to ancient times.
Is Neroli an Aphrodisiac?
Neroli has been used by in perfumery for hundreds of years - and this is a strong indicator, for a fragrance. It is a very agreeable and popular scent, that is for sure. However I can find no specific mention whatsoever in literature of it being aphrodisiac prior to 1998! ( This included a thorough search of Google, Google Books and Amazon titles. ) Then, it starts to appear. Better Nutrition magazine of March 1999 has a feature article on Neroli, which states that Neroli is said to possess aphrodisiac qualities. By whom? When?
I cannot find the source of the legend - but one thing is for sure: Thousands of web sites now include Neroli in their lists of "top aphrodisiac essential oils" - and aromatherapy books since the turn of the 21st century cheerfully follow the same line.
I am suspicious: Almost without exception, herbal and plant based aphrodisiacs and aphrodisiac essential oils have an ancient legacy as such. Neroli appears not to. Is this just another case of over-the-top marketing? Or does the sweet fragrance of Neroli actually put you in the mood for love?
Science is equally mute on the subject - and a search of Pubmed shows that no scientific research appears on the subject of whether Neroli is an aphrodisiac. The closest thing I could find to a scientific article investigating the scent of Neroli in this regard was a 2003 paper from the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, USA; which found that the crested auklet (Aethia cristatella), a seabird, exhibits a distinctive tangerine-like scent closely associated with courtship. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12965022 A parallel here might be something of a long shot; but it would be interesting to investigate whether there is some form of connection.
Perhaps the source of the legend is that in the 19th century, orange flowers were carried by brides on their wedding day or attached to their hair or veils. [5]
But you have to be on your guard these days: A thousand web sites mean nothing, and while some oils might be aphrodisiac, some may contain "oil of snake"...
Citrus Aurantium is listed in the AHPA's "Herbs of Commerce", p.40 - and Neroli essential oil is available from usual sources. Please use care, follow safe practices and safety precautions when using essential oils. [6]
