Neroli oil
Neroli oil, distilled from bitter orange blossom, eased anxiety in several small to medium trials when inhaled, in hospital patients, women in labour and pregnant women, and helped menopausal symptoms in one 63-person trial. The trials are short, the scent cannot be hidden from participants, and most come from a few research groups, so the honest rating is limited.
There is no human trial for skin, where the documented effect is occasional contact allergy (1.1% of patients patch tested in one German clinic network).
At a glance
Last reviewed 10 October 2026What it's used for
Evidence is rated per use. The same ingredient can be strong for one thing and traditional for another.
| Use | Evidence | What the research shows |
|---|---|---|
| Anxiety (inhaled aroma)Compare remedies for stress and anxiety → | Limited | In 140 hospitalised patients with acute coronary syndrome, a double-blind trial of 30% neroli oil in paraffin versus paraffin alone three times a day found lower anxiety scores on the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (34.7 versus 42.4). In 68 pregnant women, inhaling five drops twice daily for a month versus almond oil lowered anxiety and depression scores, but not stress scores. A lavender-neroli blend lowered dental anxiety in children in small trials, though the blend and the nitrous-oxide mask make it impossible to credit neroli alone. A 2026 single-author systematic review of 12 trials in women (1,170 women) concluded neroli helps, using a narrative synthesis with no pooling. Expectation effects from a recognisable scent cannot be ruled out.2,4,5,8 |
| Menopause symptomsCompare remedies for women’s health → | Limited | In 63 healthy postmenopausal women, inhaling 0.1% or 0.5% neroli oil for 5 minutes twice daily for 5 days beat almond oil for the physical domain of menopause quality of life and for sexual desire, and blood pressure was lower on the 0.5% dose. The trial lasted only 5 days and measured hormones and blood pressure as secondary outcomes, so it shows a short-term effect on scores, not a treatment for hot flushes.1 |
| Anxiety and pain in labour | Limited | In 88 women in labour, neroli aromatherapy gave lower anxiety and perceived pain scores than no aroma at the latent, early and late active phases. The comparison group had no placebo scent, so the effect of expecting a pleasant smell is not separated out. The abstract does not state the dose.3,5 |
| SkinCompare remedies for skin → | Traditional | We found no human trial of neroli oil for acne, scars, ageing or wounds, so there is no evidence that it helps skin. What is documented is allergy: in patch testing of 10,930 dermatitis patients in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, 1.1% reacted to neroli oil, and sensitisation was more frequent in masseurs and cosmeticians.6 |
How much
Ranges below are what studies used and what supplements commonly contain. They are not a recommendation for you. Start at the low end.
How people take it
Safety
Who should avoid
- Swallowing the oil — no trial or safety data for oral use
- Undiluted oil on skin — contact allergy is documented
- History of fragrance or essential oil allergy — concomitant reactions are common
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding — trials used it inhaled; we found no wider safety data
- Children and infants — only a blend with lavender has been studied, in dental anxiety
- Expecting it to treat menopause or labour pain in place of medical care
Known interactions
Questions people ask
What are the benefits of neroli oil?
Inhaled neroli lowered anxiety scores in small to medium trials in coronary care patients, women in labour and pregnant women, and helped menopausal symptom scores over 5 days in one trial. The evidence is limited because the trials are short and a scent is hard to blind.
Is neroli oil good for skin?
We found no human trial showing that it helps skin, so claims about scars, wrinkles or acne are unproven. The documented skin effect is allergy: 1.1% of dermatitis patients reacted to it in one patch-test network. Dilute it and patch test first.
What is neroli oil used for?
It is used as a fragrance in perfumes and cosmetics and as an aromatherapy oil, usually inhaled or diffused for relaxation. The best-studied uses are anxiety, pregnancy and labour stress, and menopause symptoms, all by inhalation.
Is neroli oil the same as bitter orange oil?
No. Neroli is distilled from the blossom of Citrus aurantium. The peel and leaves give different oils with a different chemical make-up, and petitgrain comes from the leaves, so results for one do not carry over to another.
Sources (8)
- Randomised trial Choi SY, Kang P, Lee HS, Seol GH. Effects of Inhalation of Essential Oil of Citrus aurantium L. var. amara on Menopausal Symptoms, Stress, and Estrogen in Postmenopausal Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2014.
- Randomised trial Moslemi F, Alijaniha F, Naseri M, Kazemnejad A, Charkhkar M, Heidari MR. Citrus aurantium Aroma for Anxiety in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome: A Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial. J Altern Complement Med. 2019.
- Randomised trial Scandurra C, Mezzalira S, Cutillo S, et al. The Effectiveness of Neroli Essential Oil in Relieving Anxiety and Perceived Pain in Women during Labor: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Healthcare (Basel). 2022.
- Randomised trial Moradi M, Niazi A, Mohammadi Payandar F, Jamali J, Arefadib N. The effect of aromatherapy with Citrus Aurantium essential oil on depression, stress and anxiety in pregnant women; a randomized controlled clinical trial. Taiwan J Obstet Gynecol. 2025.
- Systematic review Yilmaz S. Therapeutic potential of Neroli Essential Oil (Citrus aurantium) in obstetrics and gynecology: A systematic review. Explore (NY). 2026.
- Patch-test surveillance study Geier J, Schubert S, Reich K, et al. Contact sensitization to essential oils: IVDK data of the years 2010-2019. Contact Dermatitis. 2022.
- Chemical analysis Sarrou E, Chatzopoulou P, Dimassi-Theriou K, Therios I. Volatile constituents and antioxidant activity of peel, flowers and leaf oils of Citrus aurantium L. growing in Greece. Molecules. 2013.
- Randomised trial Abdalhai R, Tolibah YA, Alkhatib R, Kouchaji C, Baghdadi ZD. Lavender-Neroli Aromatherapy for Reducing Dental Anxiety and Pain in Children During Anesthesia: A Two-Arm Randomized Controlled Trial. Med Sci (Basel). 2025.
Last reviewed 10 October 2026 · Next review April 2027 · How we rate evidence
Reader notes
Experiences and questions from readers, read by an editor before they appear. They are personal accounts, not evidence, and are not medical advice.