Tangerine essential oil is derived from the tangerine orange, botanically known as Citrus Reticulata. Even mandarin oranges are also botanically known by the same name. As such, it is quite difficult to distinguish between tangerine and mandarin oranges because they are almost identical to one another!

However, unlike mandarins, tangerines have a deeper orange colour, do not have pips and are harvested in a different time of the year than mandarin oranges.

Having originated from China, the essential oil is derived from the cold compression of the peels of the fruit, like most citrus essential oils. Tangerine essential oil contains high amounts of limonene, which contributes to its beneficial and terrific health effects! It is widely used in Chinese medicine to treat a variety of physical complaints.

Read on to find out more about its terrific benefits and uses!

Health Benefits of Tangerine Essential Oil:

1. Helps to Heal Wounds and Cuts

Tangerine oil possesses antiseptic and antimicrobial properties, which means it helps to cleanse and disinfect wounds, cuts, scrapes and open sores and rids them of bacteria. This thus prevents such wounds from getting infections or from becoming septic, which is caused by the S.aureus bacterial strain.

As such, it helps in preventing infections, and allows for the speedy recovery of such wounds, cuts or scrapes incurred. It can also help to reduce the swelling and redness of the affected skin.

How to Use it: Dilute tangerine essential oil with a carrier oil (such as coconut, sweet almond or jojoba oil) in a 1:1 ratio and apply onto the affected areas. However, be sure to avoid open wounds and open cuts.

2. To Promote Skin and Hair Health

Since it is a great antiseptic agent for wounds and cuts, it can also be used to alleviate skin problems such as acne and redness of skin as well as rid your body of any skin fungal infections. This helps to ensure good skin health and a smooth complexion. Moreover, tangerine oil has cytophylactic properties, which means it helps to induce the regeneration and growth of new cells, thus facilitating the healing of skin.

Not only that, this makes the oil a useful anti-ageing agent that helps to rejuvenate and repair your skin. As such, your skin will always look healthy and radiant! Such properties are also useful for hair growth and for preventing dryness or flakiness as well as for treating dandruff.

How to Use it: Dilute tangerine oil with a carrier oil and apply onto the affected areas. For your hair, apply diluted tangerine oil directly onto the scalp and wash as per normal after a few minutes.

3. Supports Digestive Health

Tangerine essential oil is also useful for keeping your stomach in optimum health as it is a stomachic. This means that it helps to maintain the timely secretion of digestive enzymes and bile, thus facilitating the proper digestion and absorption of foods into the bloodstream. Additionally, this helps to prevent any stomach-related problems such as indigestion, bloating, flatulence and nausea.

Its anti-spasmodic qualities also serve to prevent any unnecessary cramps, contractions or convulsions of the stomach and intestinal walls, thus preventing stomach pain and diarrhea in the process. It also helps to alleviate internal inflammation.

How to Use it: Dilute tangerine oil with a carrier oil to form a massage blend and gently massage on your abdomen and stomach area.

4. Promotes Detoxification

Additionally, tangerine oil is a powerful depurative agent, which means it helps to purify the blood and facilitates a detoxification process, whereby toxic and harmful substances removed from your body. Such toxic substances include uric acid, excess salts and water as well as other pollutants which are removed through sweating and urination.

As such, this helps to purify the body and keeps your body healthy and disease-free as unwanted substances are not accumulated inside your body.

How to Use it: You can diffuse about 2-3 drops of the oil in a diffuser or vaporizer and breathe in the aromatic wafts to induce the detoxification process. Alternatively, you can add about 5-6 drops of the oil in warm, bathing water too.

5. Eases Stress and Anxiety

The oil is also a sedative, which means it helps to soothe and calm tense nerves as well as alleviates feelings of stress and anxiety. For some peace and tranquility, try diffusing tangerine oil. It helps in providing mental clarity and calmness and makes it ideal for promoting a good night’s rest.

As such, this provides a natural remedy for alleviating stress, anxiety and tension which is undoubtedly a safer and more viable alternative to anti-anxiety and sleeping pills prescriptions as those might carry unwanted side effects instead!

How to Use it: Diffuse about 2-3 drops of the oil in a diffuser or vaporizer and put it on your bedside table. Alternatively, you can add about 5-6 drops of the oil into a tub of warm, bathing water to soak away the stress and tension of the day.

6. As a Cleaning Agent

Since it has already been established that tangerine oil has potent antibacterial and antifungal properties, it is able to act as an effective household cleaning agent to clean kitchen tops, surfaces and other parts of your household. In this way, tangerine oil helps to prevent the growth of unwanted bacteria, molds and yeasts in households, thus keeping your surrounding environment clean.

Its sweet, tangy and citrus-like aroma also leaves your room or house smelling clean, fresh and welcoming!

How to Use it: Simply add a few drops of the oil into your household cleaning agent, or add about 5-6 drops of it into a spritz bottle containing water and proceed to spray all over desired parts of your household like in your kitchen and bathrooms to disinfect.

Safety Precautions:

Tangerine oil is mostly safe to be used as it is non-toxic and non-irritant. However, care should still be exercised when using tangerine oil, or any other essential oils, as a form of treatment.

• Tangerine essential oil, like other citrus essential oils out there, is phototoxic. This means that you should avoid direct sunlight and UV rays for about 24 hours after applying the oil on your skin. This is because it can reach to UV rays and might produce inflammation, burns or blisters on your skin.

• Whenever you want to apply the oil directly onto your skin, be sure to dilute the oil with a carrier oil (such as coconut, jojoba or sweet almond oil) in a 1:1 ratio. Always perform a skin patch test on a non-sensitive area of your skin to ensure there are no sensitive, allergic or irritant reactions.

• If you are pregnant, breastfeeding or have a pre-existing medical condition that requires you to be under prescription drugs, be sure to consult your doctor first for professional medical health advice before using tangerine oil as a form of treatment.

• Do not ingest tangerine oil.

• Avoid contact with eyes, inner ears and other mucus membranes.

Tangerine oil blends well with a variety of oils. For a bright and uplifting aroma, try mixing tangerine with other citrus oils such as bergamot or lemon essential oils in your diffuser. It also blends well with mint essential oils like peppermint or spearmint and you can even blend it with warm, spicy oils like cinnamon bark or clove for a warm, fall scent in your homes.