In short
Petitgrain absolute is extracted with solvent from the leaves and twigs of the bitter orange tree. It is deeper and greener than petitgrain oil, with an orange-flower side.
What Petitgrain Absolute smells like
Biolandes makes petitgrain absolute by solvent extraction exclusively from fresh leaves and twigs of cultivated bitter orange, and its technical sheet gives the odour as floral, orange flower, green, dusty and citrus. Eden Botanicals finds a deep, complex green aroma with citrus zest, citrus blossom and slight woody undertones; Hermitage Oils describes green, woody, leafy, bitter-floral, a little leathery and tangy.
- Leading note
- Green citrus
- Clear facets
- Orange flower
- Supporting facets
- Woody, leafy
- Faint facets
- Leathery
- Character
- Deep, bitter
What makes Petitgrain Absolute distinctive
Petitgrain's leaf with an orange-flower heart and more depth than the distilled oil.
How Petitgrain Absolute is used
Used for a natural green-citrus and orange-flower heart in colognes and florals.
Typical role: modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend).
How Petitgrain Absolute differs from similar materials
- Petitgrain Bigarade Oil
- Petitgrain oil is the bright, bitter-green distillate; the absolute, from the same leaves and twigs, is deeper, with orange flower and a woody, leathery side.
Each difference compares the published descriptions of the two materials. Smell varies with grade, supplier and dilution; compare them side by side on blotters before substituting one for another.
Formulation considerations
No CAS number specific to the absolute could be confirmed, so none is given.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Absolute
- Origin
- Natural
- Odour family
- Citrus / Green
- Note position
- Top to heart note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Viscous liquid
- Botanical source
- Citrus aurantium L.
No CAS number is shown: suppliers use different identifiers for this material, and none could be confirmed as its own.
Safety and compliance
This page is general information, not a safety assessment or a specification. Confirm identity, composition, IFRA status and allergen content from your supplier's documents for the lot you hold.
Materials it works with
-
Petitgrain Bigarade Oil
Essential oil · Citrus / Floral — green, citrus, floral, bitter
-
Neroli Oil
Essential oil · Floral / Citrus — floral, citrus, orange blossom, honeyed
-
Orange Flower Absolute
Absolute · Floral / Animalic — orange blossom, honeyed, indolic, floral
Used in formulas and accords
Used in 9 published formulas
Petitgrain Absolute is an ingredient in 5 perfume formulas, 3 accords and 1 base in the Formula & Accord Library.
Community formulas
RUŌOD House Originals
Original compositions by RUŌOD House.
Further reading
Questions about Petitgrain Absolute
Is Petitgrain Absolute natural or synthetic?
Petitgrain Absolute is natural. It is a concentrated extract obtained from plant material with a solvent, then washed with ethanol to remove the waxes.
Which published formulas use Petitgrain Absolute?
Petitgrain Absolute is used in 9 published formulas in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library, including 1882 Naturals, Green Pod Theory and Hyacinth Accord. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.
Sources
- Biolandes — Petitgrain absolute technical sheet F1921 — manufacturer's description.
- Eden Botanicals — Petitgrain Absolute — distributor's description.
- Olfactory profile: the RUŌOD Lab team's synthesis of the published descriptions above, reviewed 24 October 2026. Evidence: more than one published description. Classification and the short description: revision 1. Descriptions of odour are judgement, not measurement.