Is This Underrated Botanical The Secret To Calm, Supple Skin?

If your skin runs sensitive, chances are your guard flies up every time you hear the word fragrance. You see, even 100% natural fragrances (essential oils and the like) have the potential to trigger irritation for some, so when you hear fragrance and skin-soothing uttered in the same breath? You might raise a brow. 

Hear us out: Not all naturally-derived fragrances are harsh on the skin. In fact, some are known for their calming, gentle properties—like neroli oil.

Neroli is quite the popular essential oil (EO), as it offers a floral, citrusy, almost spicy aroma. Despite its crisp scent, though, it’s not actually a citrus essential oil (like lemon or grapefruit); and thus, it’s not as potent. Rather, neroli oil comes from the flowers of the bitter orange, which makes it a gentler, calming botanical that's way more appropriate for reactive skin.

What’s more, neroli oil actually has some skin-supporting abilities: In addition to its warm, inviting scent, researchers in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, classified neroli as a "strong antioxidant” with antimicrobial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties—all of which can comfort your skin and help it appear more supple and vibrant. "With high antioxidants and cell regeneration properties, neroli oil can produce an amazing overall glow,” Australian dermatologist Daniel Lanzer, M.B., FACD, once shared with mbg. You can read all about neroli oil’s beauty benefits here, but just know that its advantages extend way beyond a comforting aroma. 

So for our neroli postbiotic body lotion, we felt confident selecting a naturally-derived bitter orange flower extract to include in our fragrance blend (with the help of a French-based, family-owned fragrance house that specializes in natural, sustainable, and clean ingredients). In this robust neroli note, we used not only the essential oil itself but also a terpene variation extracted from pine trees. Remember: It can take quite a lot of natural resources to extract many of the most prized essential oils; this terpene extract is more widely available than its flower counterpart. 

On the flip-side, we knew that bergamot essential oil—which does come from citrus fruit—can be way too acidic and disruptive for those with sensitive skin, so we used a responsible synthetic variation of bergamot to make sure our lotion stays super gentle. That being said, it’s important to think critically about which fragrances are most suitable for the skin (and the environment, too), but not all essential oils are unfit for drier, sensitive skin types. Still, you should patch test to make sure you don’t face any irritation, but it is possible to enjoy a refreshing, comforting scent without sacrificing your skin barrier.  

You may think essential oils and sensitive skin should not mix, but it actually depends on the source of those EOs you’re slathering on. For instance, neroli oil comes from the bitter orange flower and is a far gentler botanical than other potent extracts. So, yes, our neroli postbiotic body lotion may still be OK for skin types that have finicky—and it offers the most delightful scent.

However, always defer to your own skin needs—if you know EOs trigger a reaction for you, no need to push your limits. That's why we also have a fragrance free version that sensitive skin-identifying folks rave about.