Let's saunter through the garden to the heart and soul of tangerine essential oil.

The tangerine originates from citrus trees first cultivated in ancient Chinese gardens. The fruit from these ancient trees was offered to high-ranking officials of the Chinese empire known as Mandarins. Versions of the mandarin orange were introduced to Europe, the United States and Brazil in the 19th Century. The "New World Mandarins" came to be know as tangerines.

Tangerines (Citrus nobilis variety reticulata) are known as kid-gloved oranges because their loose skin makes them easy to peel. The variety name – reticulata–describes the network of white veins that lie between the peel and the fruit, a characteristic unique to the mandarin and tangerine.

Although mandarin and tangerine share the same botanical origins, different growing environments and cultivation practices produce two oranges with essential oils that are quite different in their chemical and aromatic profiles.

Tangerine essential oil has the same light, fresh, citrusy aroma you smell when you first peel the fresh fruit. That burst of aroma comes from the volatile component of most citrus essential oils. All essential oils are volatile-their aroma immediately begins to develop and change as soon as you uncap their bottles. Citrus oils volatilize especially quickly, giving that initial burst of light, refreshing aroma that provides an uplifting, inspiring emotional benefit. The rich aroma of tangerine essential oil adapts well to blends that calm and soothe while reducing emotional stress and tension. This emotional benefit is enhanced when combined with calming floral oils such as neroli and jasmine.

Tangerine essential oil is produced in Brazil and the United States. Machine expressed from

the fruit peel, the oil flavors candy, drink mixes, soft drinks and liqueurs. Whether looking for an uplifting blend after a workout or a relaxing blend at the end of a stressful day, let your walk through the "scentuous" garden of aromatherapy lead you to tangerine essential oil.