Orange Blossom Perfumes

Methyl anthranilate and indole: the molecules of orange blossom

In perfumery, orange blossom comes from the bitter orange tree (Citrus aurantium). The flowers are picked by hand in spring, and Tunisia is the leading producer. For the absolute, the fresh flowers are extracted with solvents and the resulting concrete is purified with alcohol. Around 700 to 1,000 kg of blossoms yield roughly 1 kg of absolute. Alongside linalool, it is shaped by methyl anthranilate (C₈H₉NO₂) and indole (C₈H₇N). Both are more pronounced in the absolute than in steam-distilled neroli. Orange flower water is the hydrosol from neroli distillation.

On the skin, orange blossom is honeyed, white-floral and slightly animalic, with a green, citrus opening. The absolute is fuller and lasts longer than neroli. With bergamot it feels bright and clear, like an eau de cologne; with jasmine or ylang-ylang, opulent and sensual; with vanilla or amber, warm and powdery.

In this selection, orange blossom sits in the fragrance pyramid – mostly in the heart note.