Biological and Cosmetic Potential of Essential and Vegetable Oils from Citrus Aurantium L.: A Sustainable Valorization Approach

Abstract

The study is thus oriented toward evaluating the chemical characteristics and biological activities of Citrus aurantium L., including potential cosmetic applications, as well as its essential and vegetable oils. The oil is obtained from the peel by hydrodistillation, with a yield that varies with the period of recult: 1.30 ± 0.30% in December and 0.76 ± 0.20% in January. GC-MS analysis results show that the composition contains monoterpenes as major components, with limonene being the main compound, 91.80% (December sample) to 62.84% (January sample)

The cold-pressed seed oil was high in polyunsaturated fatty acids, mainly linoleic acid (40.58%), as well as palmitic and oleic acids. Both physicochemical and organoleptic analyses attested to the high quality of the oils and their suitability for cosmetic use.

Biologically, the essential oil exhibited considerable antifungal activity against Candida spp. with a dose-dependent effect and maximum inhibition zone of 29.0 ± 1.0 mm at 1 ml concentration; meanwhile, the vegetable oil displayed marked antioxidant activity assessed by DPPH test, characterised by a significant increase in radical scavenging activity with increasing concentration (p ≤ 0.05).

Natural lip scrubs were formulated using extracted oils and a finely sieved cake. The formulations showed good physicochemical stability, pH compatible with the lip area, and excellent skin tolerance. Sensory evaluation of 30 volunteers revealed a preference for the formulation enriched with vegetable oil, which provided better hydration and comfort during application and produced soft, uniform exfoliation due to the cake's mechanical action.

Overall, these results confirm the strong biological and cosmetic potential of Citrus aurantium L. and underscore its value for sustainable use in developing innovative natural cosmetic products.