Essential oil of Organic Corsican clementine tree

The clementine tree has only been known about since the beginning of the 20th century and its origins remain a mystery: some authors believe that the Reverend Father Clément was responsible for discovering it in a mandarin seedbed at the Misserghim orphanage in Algeria. Others say that the same Reverend Father deliberately cross-bred the common mandarin tree (Citrus Deliciosa Tenore) with a variety of sour orange tree (Citrus Aurantium L.) to create the fruit. However, recent studies have shown that it was actually a hybrid between mandarin and sweet orange (Citrus Sinensis).

Whatever the case, the fruit was given the name "clementine" as a tribute to the man of the cloth. The clementine is a member of the large citrus family and is grown for its very sweet, seedless taste. When ripe, the fruit is green in colour, turning orange as the temperature drops in winter. Clementines are harvested from December to February. To obtain Petitgrain Clementinier essential oil, it is not the fruit that is used, but the leaves, small twigs and small, still green fruits that are harvested in spring and distilled in the presence of steam. The result is an essential oil with a green, slightly woody, citrus fragrance, traditionally valued for its role in calming nervous and emotional tension and combating stress. Rich in antispasmodic active ingredients, it is traditionally considered to help relieve everyday muscular tension.