What is it?
An extract of the peel of the sweet orange, Citrus sinensis, which appears on labels under the older name Citrus aurantium dulcis. Suppliers describe citrus peel extracts as containing flavonoids such as hesperidin, sugars and sometimes some of the peel’s aromatic oil. It is used in skin care, hair care and cleansers to condition the skin, help thicken and stabilize formulas, and add scent.
Key information
- The CIR Expert Panel concluded in 2016 that citrus peel ingredients, including orange peel extract, are safe when formulated to be non-sensitizing and non-irritating.
- The Panel's conclusion requires leave-on products to contain no more than 15 ppm of bergapten (5-MOP), a natural citrus compound that can cause light-triggered skin reactions.
- Orange peel extract was reported in 56 products in 2016, at up to 0.25 percent in leave-on products.
- EU rules require sweet orange peel oil and limonene to be named on labels above 0.001 percent in leave-on products.
More information
Orange peel is also the source of sweet orange essential oil, which is a separate ingredient. How much of the peel’s oil ends up in an extract depends on the solvent and process. In data gathered by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) in 2016, orange peel extract was used in 56 products, at up to 0.25 percent in leave-on and 0.14 percent in rinse-off products.
The CIR Expert Panel reviewed 47 citrus peel ingredients that year. It found a consistent lack of irritation and sensitization across test methods and ingredients, and concluded that they are safe in rinse-off and leave-on products when formulated to be non-sensitizing and non-irritating, provided leave-on products contain no more than 0.0015 percent (15 ppm) of bergapten, also called 5-MOP. Bergapten is a furocoumarin, a natural citrus compound that can cause phototoxic reactions on skin exposed to sunlight; the Panel said following the fragrance industry’s IFRA standards for these compounds prevents that. It also required citrus peel ingredients to be non-irritating because, in a rodent study, repeated irritation from citrus peel oils may have promoted tumors in skin pretreated with a carcinogen.
Direct data on orange peel itself are limited. In one small study, undiluted sweet orange peel caused phototoxic reactions in 3 of 4 people with very fair (type I) skin, and among 188 professional food handlers studied in Denmark, 16 had positive skin prick tests to orange peel. Cosmetic use levels are a small fraction of that exposure.
Under EU rules, sweet orange peel oil (listed as “Citrus Aurantium Peel Oil”) and limonene must be named on labels when present above 0.001 percent in leave-on or 0.01 percent in rinse-off products. If citrus scents bother your skin, look for those names as well as the extract itself.
Sources: CIR: Safety Assessment of Citrus Peel-Derived Ingredients as Used in Cosmetics (2016); Official Journal of the EU: Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 on labelling of fragrance allergens
