Citrus fruity goodness!
A comment I hear all the time when getting enquiries about natural perfumes is that people love something that is either citrusy or fruity. And I can completely understand why; they are uplifting, fresh and fun!
Hand tincturing citrus
Fruity scents aren’t available in the natural perfumer’s palette unless they are hand tinctured by the perfumer or a close associate of the supplier. As such, any fruity scents (berry, fig, apple, peach, banana etc.) are derived from synthetic ingredients. I have a small batch of a cherry tincture which is divine, and I look forward to sharing that with my customers in a limited-edition artisan perfume.
At this stage, there is no known natural process for extracting the essences of such fruits. However, the peels of citrus fruits are able to be extracted naturally by a gentle cold press extraction process. It is inside the peel of the citrus that the essential oils are stored, and a gentle cold pressing method extracts the fragrance of these gorgeous oils.
Citrus is volatile
The essential oils obtained from citrus notes are extremely volatile, which means they do not last long and evaporate quickly. This is very challenging for a natural perfumer. However, they often form a valuable part of the perfume as a top/head note, which assists in forming an initial impression of the scent.
I am an artisan maker of both perfumes and body care products using only natural ingredients. A suggestion that I give to customers who love these types of notes is to maybe use a body product like Natural Castile Hand.Body Wash, Shea Balm, that is created with citrus notes and/or use cologne or eau de toilette that is formulated with citrus notes. Room and linen sprays formulated with citrus notes are also a good choice.
This way, you will get the uplifting, fresh notes of the citrus without the cost of a perfume formulated with more expensive ingredients such as florals and precious woods. A beautiful, uplifting effect is the result of such a pure blend.
Some of the citrus notes that I use
- Bergamot (considered the most highly prized of the citrus notes as it has a slightly floral aspect to it. It is grown purely for perfumery and is also a prized ingredient in the ever popular Earl Grey tea)
- Kaffir Lime
- Lime
- Orange (3 varieties, Bitter Orange, Blood Orange & Sweet Orange – each with different nuances),
- Grapefruit
- Tangerine
- Mandarin
