Neroli essential oil, named after the 16th century Princess Anna Maria de La Tremoille of Nerola is pretty tedious to make in reality. Afterall, what essential oil requires 1000 pounds of orange blossoms to generate just one pound of it?

Yup, to make neroli essential oil, you need to steam distill 1000 pounds of the orange blossoms, thus attesting to the tedious and complicated process. Not only that, you need to handpick the flowers specifically because the flowers lose the oil very quickly once it is plucked out from the tree and ensure that they are not damaged in the process.

Neroli essential oil, while it is expensive and tedious to make, has wide-ranging benefits and uses, thus making it a worthwhile investment to make! Read on to find out more!

Benefits of Neroli Essential Oil:

1. Prevents stress and anxiety and manages symptoms of menopause better

Neroli essential oil is a natural antidepressant, which provides a viable and natural alternative to the prescribed antidepressants out there in pharmaceutical markets which can generate harmful side effects. Therefore, if you are suffering from depression, stress or anxiety, it is worthwhile to invest in purchasing neroli essential oil to alleviate these feelings and improve your mood.

In fact, menopause may be problematic for women who have to adapt to the effects and symptoms of it. Luckily, neroli essential oil is able to help manage the symptoms of menopause better. A study published in 2014, retrieved from PubMed, found that neroli oil can significantly reduce feelings of stress and anxiety amongst menopausal women.

The study, done by the Korea University School of Nursing, involved 63 healthy, postmenopausal women and they were split into 3 groups. One group took 0.1 percent neroli oil, the other took 0.5 percent neroli oil and the other group took almond oil (as a control group). They found that those who took neroli oil actually demonstrated lower diastolic blood pressure and improvements in the pulse rate, estrogen concentrations and serum cortisol levels.

Not only does it help to alleviate anxiety levels, it can reduce blood pressure, relieve menopausal symptoms and even increase sexual desire in women with the last benefit attributing to neroli oil’s aphrodisiac nature.

How To Use It: To provide mental clarity and decrease stress levels, you can apply 1-2 drops of neroli essential oil onto your palms and inhale it directly from there. Alternatively, you can mix 3-4 drops of neroli essential oil into your everyday bath to soak away the stress. Inhaling it through a diffuser or vaporizer in your home or office also does the trick too!

2. Ability to heal wounds

Neroli essential oil contains antimicrobial and antiseptic properties, proving it to be a useful agent for combating skin fungal infections as well as various cuts and wounds. With its antibacterial properties, it helps to kill off any germs and bacteria from festering on your wound, thus cleaning it and preventing infections from happening.

A 2012 study published in the Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences found that neroli essential oil can kill 6 types of common bacteria as well as other types of fungus and yeast. Thus, compared with the normal antibiotic (Nystatin), neroli essential oil is far more potent and beneficial.

How To Use It: By mixing it with a carrier oil, like jojoba oil, apply it to the infected area to manage the wound better. Be sure to do a skin patch test first before application to the infected area so as to ensure no allergic or sensitive reaction results.

3. Repairs skin and reduces appearance of scars

Due to its antibacterial properties, neroli essential oil can help to treat common skin problems such as acne and eczema. It can also regenerate new skin cells and improves the elasticity of your skin, thus making your skin firmer and tighter, producing the youthful glow!

Due to its ability for skin rejuvenation and antioxidant properties, it is able to reverse skin damage to promote skin revival instead at the deep cellular level and this can aid in preventing wrinkles, age spots, scars and even stretch marks to combat the signs of ageing. Hence, neroli essential oil is no doubt a worthwhile addition to your everyday skincare regime!

How to Use It: For treatment of acne, you can wet a cotton ball with water and add a few drops of neroli essential oil onto the wet cotton ball. Proceed to dab the cotton ball onto the desired areas until the blemish fades away. Alternatively, for larger areas, you can mix 1-2 drops of neroli essential oil with face cream or a carrier oil (such as jojoba oil) and apply to the desired areas. To ease the appearance of stretch marks, proceed to apply 2-3 drops of neroli essential oil to your everyday body cream, lotion or oil. Be sure to do a skin patch test first before applying it topically to these areas!

4. Prevents inflammation and offers pain relief

With its anti-inflammatory properties, neroli essential oil can reduce inflammation in muscles and joints, thus providing pain relief at the same time. A 2015 study published in the Journal of Natural Medicines highlighted how neroli, with its biological constituents, has significant impacts on reducing chronic inflammation and helps to reduce pain sensitivity levels, especially at the central and peripheral areas, as well.

Therefore, neroli essential oil is undoubtedly a good choice for those who suffer from arthritis or those who just need something to relieve them of muscular pain after a tough day of being on your feet constantly or exercising.

How To Use It: By blending it with a carrier oil, you can create a massage blend that provides excellent pain relief for muscles and joint pains. Be sure to do a skin patch test first though!

5. Decreases blood pressure levels

Just by inhaling neroli essential oil, it is found to be extremely beneficial in decreasing blood pressure levels, thus preventing many diseases especially those related to the heart.

Research carried out in 2012, retrieved from PubMed, found that those who inhaled a blend of neroli, ylang ylang, marjoram and lavender essential oils experienced significant reductions in the systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels, as compared to those who inhaled artificial fragrances or did not inhale anything at all. Also, the group which inhaled the essential oils blend experienced reductions in the salivary cortisol levels too, thus significantly reducing stress levels.

Isn’t this a good reason to invest in neroli essential oil?

How to Use It: Simply inhale neroli essential oil either directly or from a diffuser or vaporizer.

6. Prevents seizures

Neroli essential oil can also help prevent seizures because it has anticonvulsant compounds which can possibly be included in treatment of seizures in the future. A 2014 study, retrieved from PubMed, highlighted how neroli possesses biologically active anticonvulsant constituents, thus helping the management of seizures.

Further research needs to be done to ascertain how exactly neroli essential oil can be incorporated in seizure management treatments in the future but this initial research indeed shows some promising results.

7. As a deodorant

Neroli can also be used as a deodorant because it has a sweet aroma that keeps you fresh throughout the day! Combat pesky body odour by using neroli essential oil as a natural deodorant!

Retrieved from Dr. Axe, you can even save some money and create a homemade, DIY deodorant mixture that is both all-natural and has a sweet-smelling fragrance. It only takes 2 minutes of your time, and you avoid the harsh chemical substances that come with other non-natural deodorant products!

How to Use It: Mix 25 drops of neroli essential oil with ½ a cup of distilled water and shake vigorously to create your own body mist.

Other Uses of Neroli Essential Oil:

• For headaches, you can apply a few drops to a hot or cold compress.

• To ease diarrhea and other digestive problems, you can apply 2-3 drops of neroli essential oil into a diffuser or blend 4-5 drops of it in a carrier oil to create a massage blend.

• To get a good night’s sleep, you can put a drop of neroli essential oil onto your pillow.

• To ease pre-menstrual cramps, add a few drops of neroli into your bath.

Safety Precautions:

• Never ingest neroli essential oil.

• Always blend it well with a carrier oil before applying it topically.

• Perform a skin patch test on a non-sensitive part of your skin first before applying it to the infected areas.

• Keep out of reach from children.

• Always consult your doctor first before using essential oils, especially for pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers.

References:

Ammar AH, et al., "Chemical composition and in vitro antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of Citrus aurantium l. flowers essential oil (Neroli oil)", Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences (2012); 15(21)

Azanchi T, Shafaroodi H, Asgarpanah J, "Anticonvulsant activity of Citrus aurantium blossom essential oil (neroli): involvement of the GABAergic system", Journal of Natural Product Communications (2014); 9(11)

Choi SY, et al., "Effects of Inhalation of Essential Oil of Citrus aurantium L. var. amara on Menopausal Symptoms, Stress, and Estrogen in Postmenopausal Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial", Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2014)

Khodabakhsh P, Shafaroodi H, Asgarpanah J, "Analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of Citrus aurantium L. blossoms essential oil (neroli): involvement of the nitric oxide/cyclic-guanosine monophosphate pathway", Journal of Natural Medicine (2015); 69(3)

Kim IH, et al., "Essential oil inhalation on blood pressure and salivary cortisol levels in prehypertensive and hypertensive subjects", Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2012)