What it smells like
Bright, green and a little tart — mandarin picked before it ripens, which is exactly what it is. Sharper than tangerine and considerably less sweet than wild orange, with a leafy edge the ripe fruit loses.
Three things to actually do with it
1. A daytime diffuser blend
Three drops on its own, or two with one of spearmint. It is the citrus to reach for when wild orange feels too sweet for a working room.
2. An evening body oil at 1 %
Three drops in 10 ml of carrier, on skin that stays covered. See the sun note.
3. On a cloth in a drawer or wardrobe
Two drops. Green mandarin lasts longer in a confined space than the sweeter citrus oils, which fade to nothing within days.
What it blends with
The mints, the other citrus oils, and cardamom for something less obvious. Frankincense underneath keeps it in the room longer.
Getting the amount right
Photosensitising — twelve hours out of direct sun and off sunbeds after skin application. Diffusing is unaffected.
In the European range this bottle is not labelled as a food flavouring — and this is the trap, because tangerine, which is the same fruit ripened, is. Two bottles from the same tree, two different answers, and only the label settles it. On skin, 1 % in the evening.
Questions people ask
Is it the same as mandarin?
Same fruit, harvested earlier. The unripe fruit gives a sharper, greener oil — and, here, a different food-use answer.
Can I use it in a dessert?
Not from this bottle. Tangerine is labelled for food use in the European range; green mandarin is not.
Why does it smell so different from the mandarins I eat?
Because you are smelling the peel of an unripe fruit. Ripening is what turns that green sharpness into sweetness.