The Essence of Oranges: Exploring Wild Orange Essential Oil

Welcome back to Harvesters’ Corner! The dog days of summer are upon us, and my husband and I were reminiscing on a trip we’d done over ten years ago. The main reason for the trip was to welcome my sister’s husband home from his last deployment. This was an exciting time, as my brother-in-law would be meeting his daughter, who was born about four months into his deployment, for the first time. As we discussed the trip my husband asked what my favorite memories were. One of these surprised him: I really enjoyed the bundle of oranges we picked up from a roadside stand while in Southern California. “Really?” he asked. “Why oranges?” I smiled slyly and told him to figure it out. His response surprised me: “Isn’t an orange an orange? What’s the big deal?”

In shock and disbelief, I explained that no, and orange is not simply an orange. There are many types of oranges out there, with some being much better than others. And that brings me to today’s topic: Oranges. Or rather specifically, Wild Orange essential oil.

This was one of my favorite oils from my introduction to dōTERRA. I loved the fact that I could use the oils in some of the desserts I made, and both my daughter and I grew to love the grounding and energizing effects of the oil. But as I had pointed out to my husband years ago, not all oranges are the same.

Not All Oranges Are Created Equal 

This holds true in two ways with Orange essential oil. Not every species of orange affects the human body equally, just as not every type of member of the orange family is a sweet and juicy fruit. Examples of this last statement would be bitter orange, and sour orange.

As I started researching this article, I partially expected to see sunny Southern California as the source for dōTERRA’s essential oils. This was partially because of the warm, fond memories I had where the oranges we bought years earlier were concerned. To my surprise, that was not the case. The source for the oil was Brazil! This insight was a shock to me. When I told my husband what I learned, he chuckled, and told me about a race-car driver years ago, who caused quite a commotion by drinking orange juice instead of milk after winning the Indianapolis 500. (1) As he talked about this driver, my mind wandered off to Brazil. I couldn’t picture oranges growing in the Amazon, and in this regard I was correct. In fact, I soon learned that oranges were brought to Brazil by the Portuguese, back in the 1530s!

As it turns out, the orange is the most cultivated fruit tree in the world. (2) Most scientists believe that the orange originated in ancient China, with mentions of the fruit being found in Chinese literature dating back to 314 B.C. However, other researchers point to the fact that citron seeds have been found in the Middle East at Mesopotamian excavations dating back to 4000 B.C.! (3) Sweet Orange, Citrus sinensis, accounts for roughly seventy percent of citrus production, and is one of the most important crops in the world. The orange has been highly valued through the years. In medieval times oranges were very valuable, and cookbooks of the time gave specific descriptions of how many orange slices each rank of visiting dignitaries were entitled to receive. For the ancient Romans, furniture and keepsake boxes made from the wood of the orange tree were quite literally worth their weight in gold. Some world cultures held beliefs that having an orange in the house would keep bad spirits at bay. (4)

Brazil's Orange Oil Industry 

As mentioned before, dōTERRA receives its orange oil from Brazil. Looking at statistics from 2012, Brazil exported 1.2 million metric tons (1.3 million US tons) of orange juice, a quantity twelve times greater that the number two exporter which, incidentally, was the United States. In other words, for every ton of juice the United States shipped world-wide, Brazil shipped twelve tons. (5) However, the Brazilian economy for orange production collapsed the following year, 2013, and famers started to tear out their groves and replacing them with sugarcane and other crops. Why the sudden change of heart? Bumper growing seasons in 2011 and 2012 had increased the global supply of orange juice, and the excess supply resulted in the price dropping by nearly a third. (6)

Changing out a crop may be easy if you are one of the Big Three producers in Brazil, but what about local farmers struggling to get by? Thankfully, many of these famers had options to work with one of dōTERRA’s sourcing partners, a fourth-generation oil producer named Enzo. A Sicilian by birth, Enzo came to Brazil in his twenties. As he relates, his Great-Grandfather started producing essential oils in 1873 using sponges to collect the oil from the citrus rinds. Local growers now can sell their crops to someone who appreciates their efforts to produce a natural product, without using fancy chemicals. As of 2023, over 9,800 people were employed in sourcing jobs in Brazil, with over 32,000 people supported by those jobs. (7)

2020 is a year I am sure none of us have a desire to re-visit. The orange growers in Brazil not only dealt with the Pandemic, but the loss of the local schoolhouse, as well, to a fire of unknown cause. When local fundraising fell short of the amount needed to rebuild, the Healing Hands Foundation stepped in with the needed balance to finance the reconstruction, enabling the children to return to school in 2021. Healing Hands has also sponsored other education-based projects in Brazil, including building and outfitting a small kitchen and cafeteria building at one of the poorest elementary schools in southern Brazil. 173 children attend this school, which covers grades 1 through 5. They receive one meal a day while at school, and for most of the students, that is the only meal they eat each day, due to economic hardships being faced by their parents. Prior to the kitchen/cafeteria building being built, the meals were prepared and eaten in one of the classrooms. The new building has helped provide critical educational and nutritional support for these low-income children as they learn basic skills vital to life. (8)

The Benefits and Uses of Wild Orange Essential Oil 

So why is there so much excitement towards Wild Orange? To start, its distinct energizing aroma helps promote an uplifting environment when diffused in a room. (9) The oil can be used as a daily household surface cleaner. It can also help support a healthy inflammatory response and uplift one’s mood. Because Wild Orange essential oil is 100 percent Certified Pure Tested Grade (CPTG), meaning that there are no additives in the oil, it is certified as Generally Regarded as Safe (GRAS) by the US Food and Drug Administration. Why is this so important? Simply put, this oil can be used in recipes and drinks! I have mixed some orange into buttercream icing for a refreshing taste when icing a plain white cake. I have also used Wild Orange in chocolate chip cookies and in syrup. No more eating plain French Toast with basic syrup! I have even added a couple of drops in a bottle of water to energize the water on a hot summer day (Peppermint and Lemon are also good in water). There are quite a few recipes online now for ways to use Wild Orange essential oil in cooking and baking. Be adventurous and try some, but make sure the oil being used is GRAS and 100 percent Certified Pure Tested Grade! There are a lot of oils out there that are cut with alcohols that can be harmful, and as such, state that they are for aromatic use only. Stay safe and healthy as you enjoy the oils.

Wild Orange essential oil is produced differently than most of the oils we have looked at on Harvesters’ Corner. The oil itself comes from the rind of the fruit, not the pulp (which is where the juice originates). The rind undergoes a cold-press technique, as opposed to the steam distillation used for other oils. Roughly ten pounds of rind (4.5 kg) are needed to produce enough oil to fill a 15 mL bottle. Considering Wild Orange is one of doTERRA’s best-selling oils, that adds up to an awful lot of orange rind!

As demand for Wild Orange has increased, dōTERRA’s sourcing agents have identified new locations for Wild Orange Production. One such place is Nafplio, Greece. There are about 3,000 producers in Greece who work with dōTERRA’s sourcing partner, who teaches the producers how to adopt sustainable practices that will profit the grower and also benefit the environment over a long period of time. The sourcing partner also teaches water management and waste management to the growers. In December 2023, dōTERRA debuted a video about the orange producers in Greece. I have included the link below:

Want to try Wild Orange and experience what all the excitement is about? Click to purchase Certified Pure Tested Grade (CPTG) Wild Orange essential oil. One whiff of its scent, and you will start to understand the difference CPTG represents. If you are new to Harvesters’ Corner and are unfamiliar with Co-Impact Sourcing and how it is enabling producers in under-developed countries become self-sufficient, check out our prior article to learn more. You can also learn about the Healing Hands Foundation and donate to the solace it helps provide in times of need. And if you haven’t already subscribed to Harvesters’ Corner, please do so. The dōTERRA Annual Convention is fast approaching, and we will be able to bring you information on the new oils being released, as well as updates on the multiple means by which dōTERRA is working to help the world heal.

While the sweet orange may be the most popular form of orange that people are familiar with, there are other varieties available. In the coming weeks we will look at Bergamot Citrus bergamia, Neroli Citrus aurantium, and Petitgrain. Join us next time, here at Harvesters’ Corner, to learn about these gifts of the Earth and how our use of the oils benefits producers and growers all over the world. Until next time, stay safe!

Sources

1.    Emerson Fittipaldi, a Brazilian, won the 1993 Indianapolis 500, and caused a minor national incident when he took a sip of orange juice in the Winner’s Circle. The time-honored tradition, long sponsored by the Indiana Dairy Association, was that the winner took a sip of ice-cold milk after winning the race. Fittipaldi, who owned an orange farm in Brazil, tried to brush off the episode by stating he always took a drink of orange juice after winning a race. As of the most recent race (May 2024), over thirty years later, news articles talking about the race traditions still stew over the time when the tradition was broke in 1993!

2.    dōTERRA. “Essential Oil Solutions with dōTERRA: Oils for Relaxation and A Walk Through Wild Orange.” Podcast, Episode 139, Date Unknown. Online. <https://doterra.com/US/en/podcast-episode-139-oils-for-relaxation-and-a-walk-through-wild-orange>. Accessed 15 May 2024.

3.    Ibid.

4.    Ibid.

5.    Lewis, Jeffery T. “In Brazil, Farmers Ripping Out Orange Trees.” Wall Street Journal, 13 June 2013. Online. <https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-MBB-2730>. Accessed 15 May 2024.

6.    Ibid.

7.    dōTERRA. “Wild Orange Citrus sinensis.” Source to You, 22 March 2022. Online. <https://sourcetoyou.com/en/stories/story/wild-orange>. Accessed 25 July 2024.

8.    Ibid.

9.    dōTERRA. “Wild Orange Oil Uses and Benefits.” The Blog, Date Unknown. Online. <https://www.doterra.com/US/en/blog/spotlight-wild-orange-oil>. Accessed 15 May 2024.