Clementines were once referred to as the crown jewels of the mandarin family. They are a hybrid of sweet orange and mandarin that are said in one story to have originated when the Algerian priest Pierre Clement reputedly crossed a mandarin with an orange to get a seedless mandarin with a looser skin that was easier to peel.
The essential oil is extracted by cold press from the outer peel of the fruit and is grown around the Mediterranean and South Africa. Clementine doesn’t have such a tart aroma compared to orange or tangerine essential oils- it is a more delicate and subtle type of citrus oil with a faint floral touch and can be used in a blend to add sparkle and lift, especially when combined with woody or resinous essential oils such as in our Oracle essential oil blend.
In Warren and Warrenburg's Mood Profiling Concept studies (1995) clementine fragrance was found to significantly increase feelings of happiness and stimulation and only slightly increase relaxation and sensuality, emphasising a stimulating/arousing profile which is common with citrus aromas.