GRAPEFRUIT ESSENTIAL OIL
A bright citrus peel oil with fresh, sweet, tangy and softly bitter notes.
Botanical Information
Botanical Name Used in Trade: Citrus × paradisi (also written Citrus paradisi)
Family: Rutaceae
Historical Origin: Caribbean grapefruit hybrid
Method of Extraction: Cold expressed from the fruit peel
Note: Top
Colour: Pale yellow to yellow-orange
Aroma: Fresh, sweet, tangy citrus with a softly bitter edge
About This Essential Oil
Grapefruit Essential Oil is cold expressed from the coloured outer peel of the fruit. Its bright aroma combines sparkling citrus freshness with sweet, tangy and gently bitter notes. It is widely used in diffuser blends, natural perfumery, soaps, washes, massage products and household fragrance formulations.
Key Benefits
• Provides a fresh, sweet and tangy citrus aroma
• Adds brightness to diffuser and room-fragrance blends
• Popular in soaps, washes and body-care products
• Complements citrus, floral, herbal and woody oils
• Suitable for natural perfumery and household formulations
• Creates a clean and lively aromatic impression
History
Grapefruit developed in the Caribbean from cultivated citrus ancestry associated with pomelo and sweet orange. It was documented in Barbados during the eighteenth century and later became an important commercial fruit in the United States and other warm-climate regions. The peel oil is now widely used in flavour, fragrance, cosmetics, household products and aromatherapy.
Main Chemical Components
96% Monoterpenes
Aromatic Characteristics
• Fresh and sparkling
• Sweet and tangy
• Softly bitter
• Bright citrus top note
Aromatic Uses
• Brightens diffuser and room-fragrance blends
• Provides a fresh top note in natural perfumery
• Complements soaps, washes and household products
• Suitable for carefully formulated massage and body-care products
Aromatic Profile
• Often described as lively, fresh and optimistic
• Opens with bright, sweet citrus notes
• Develops tangy and softly bitter peel nuances
• Useful for lightening dense aromatic blends
• Individual responses to aromas vary
Blends Well With
Lemon, Bergamot, Orange, Neroli, Lavender, Fennel, Rosemary, Juniper, Ylang Ylang, Sandalwood and Rose.
Health & Safety
• For external use only; do not ingest or apply undiluted.
• Cold-expressed Grapefruit Oil is phototoxic; follow the current IFRA restriction.
• Account for the combined level of all phototoxic ingredients in a formulation.
• Avoid sunlight and UV on treated skin as directed by the finished-product safety assessment.
• Patch test and discontinue if irritation occurs.
• Avoid eyes, mucous membranes and broken or irritated skin.
• Oxidised oil may increase sensitisation risk; keep tightly closed and use fresh oil.
• Keep away from children and animals; store below 25°C away from sunlight and heat.
