Neroli oil vs Nerolidol

Neroli oil is an essential oil extracted from the flowers of the bitter orange tree (Citrus aurantium subsp. amara or Bigaradia).Its smell is sweet, honey, slightly metallic, with green and spicy notes.Neroli is also extracted from the same flower, and both extracts are widely used in perfumes.Neroli can be said to smell sweeter, warmer, and more floral than orange blossom.The difference in smell between orange blossom and neroli, and the reason they are called different names, is a result of the extraction process used to get the oil from the flowers.Neroli oil is extracted by steam distillation, and neroli is extracted by the floral method (rarely used today due to prohibitive cost) or solvent extraction.

Productions

Flowers are usually picked in late April to early May and are usually hand picked.The oil is extracted by steam distillation.Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt are the main producers of orange blossom.

Uses

Neroli oil is one of the most widely used flower oils in perfumery.Like many ingredients, neroli oil can cause allergies due to its high content of aromatic terpenes; for example, linalool, limonene, farnesol, geraniol, and citral. It blends beautifully with any citrus oil, all kinds of floral essences, and most synthetic ingredients on the market.It also has limited use in condiments. Neroli oil is reportedly an ingredient in the closely guarded secret recipe for Coca-Cola's soft drink.It is a flavoring ingredient in the open-source cola recipe,although some variants consider it optional due to high cost.

Nerol

Nerolidol, also known as peruviol and penetrol, is a naturally occurring sesquiterpene alcohol.It is a colorless liquid found in the essential oils of many plants and flowers.There are four isomers of nerolidol' that differ in the geometry of the internal double bond, but most applications use this mixture.The aroma of nerolidol is woody, reminiscent of fresh bark. It is used as a flavoring agent and perfume as well as in non-cosmetic products such as detergents and cleaners.Nerolidyl derivatives include Neroli diphosphate and Neryl acetate.

Synthesis and appearance

Nerolidol is commercially produced from geranylacetone by the addition of vinyl Grignard reagents.It is used as a source of farnesol, vitamin E and vitamin K1.Great sources of natural neroli oil are Cabreuva oil and Dalbergia florida oil.It is also found in orange blossom, ginger, jasmine, lavender, tea tree, cannabis, and lemongrass, and is the main aroma compound in Brassavola nodosa.