Orange Power

Seeing Orange

Close your eyes for a second and think about the word “orange.” What do you see?

Do you have fond memories of eating orange slices as a kid? Maybe you think about peeling and slicing oranges for your kids’ lunches or soccer teams, or maybe you see the little mandarins known as Cuties or Halos. Do other words like “juicy” immediately pop into your heads? Perhaps images of California or Florida come to mind, especially for those of you from those sunny states. It could be that you think of the color; it is a vivid and happy color for sure. You might even think of orange juice, that delicious breakfast beverage that seems to have fallen out of favor these days.

Whatever you see, I doubt it has anything to do with winter, snow, or cold—it’s just too warm of a color and image, isn’t it? I hope orange brings you bright images and pleasant memories!

I bet that, along with what you visualize, you also think of how oranges smell. We all probably know that scents are powerful memory enhancers, and orange certainly falls into that category.

Of course, orange essential oil has some great aromatherapy properties! Like lemon, orange has an anti-inflammatory quality that aids in relieving seasonal allergies. Its powerful scent can stave off itching eyes and sneezing, so simply keeping a small bottle of orange essential oil with you and periodically taking a whiff of it can make a difference. Because of its antidepressant qualities, a sniff of orange essential oil can also lift your spirits. Try diffusing it through your home or even just in your bathroom.

Ease off the Gas!

If you have digestive issues—or a colicky baby—diffusing orange essential oil can also help. (As a side note, or perhaps even a public service announcement, simply breathing in the air can help reduce nasty flatulence. Seriously.)

Now let’s take a minute to distinguish between a couple different types of orange essential oil. First, there’s sweet orange or citrus sinensis. There’s also a pretty well-known essential oil that comes from more bitter oranges (citrus bergamia) called bergamot. You’ve heard of it, right? Sweet orange essential oil is what you want for any topical applications, as it’s milder and won’t irritate the skin like the more bitter versions. If you do apply it directly to your skin, mix it with some coconut oil, olive oil, or almond oil. This application on a gassy belly can work wonders!

Not So Swell

If you suffer from swollen feet or ankles, try bathing in a sweet orange essential oil/carrier oil blend, or just soak your feet. It also makes a great massage oil for all kinds of great reasons. As always, be sure to test it first.

Orange juice might not be the most popular thing in the world right now, but oranges still taste fantastic and contain a ton of vitamin C, and of course they smell great too. As all essential oils, orange provides a lot of other benefits, and it’s certainly one worth including in your collection.

What scents evoke your favorite memories? Cookies? Coffee? Pumpkin? Spice? Fresh bread? Pine? Tell us about it.