Petitgrain has traditionally been used to alleviate anxiety and improve sleep. From a TCM perspective, it carries a clear, bitter aroma, is slightly cool in nature, and it enters to the liver, heart, and spleen meridians. Its functions include soothing the liver to relieve stagnation, clearing the heart to calm the spirit, and strengthening the spleen to harmonize the stomach. It is particularly suitable for patterns such as liver fire due to stagnation, heart-spleen deficiency, or phlegm-heat disturbing the heart, which manifest as anxiety, insomnia, poor appetite, palpitations, and chest tightness. Extracted through modern distillation, the essential oil is rich in linalyl acetate and linalool, embodying both aromatherapeutic benefits and the TCM treatment principle of “using fragrance to dispel turbidity and bitterness to clear heat.”

• Soothing the Liver and Clearing Heat, Relieving Stagnation and Calming the Mind
Prolonged stress can lead to liver qi stagnation, which may transform into fire and cause irritability, anger, and disturbed sleep with vivid dreams. The clear, slightly bitter fragrance of petitgrain essential oil can clear liver heat and resolve stagnation, echoing the 《Su Wen》’s teaching: “Stagnated wood (liver) qi should be coursed and dispersed.” Inhalation or diffusion can regulate the limbic system, suppress liver fire, and stabilize the mind—making it suitable for individuals with liver fire patterns. Diffusing at night or applying a diluted drop to the wrists can help calm the spirit and promote restful sleep.

• Strengthening the Spleen and Harmonizing the Middle, Resolving Phlegm and Stimulating Appetite
Petitgrain essential oil also supports spleen function and digestive harmony. Its bitter aroma can awaken the spleen, stimulate appetite, and resolve damp turbidity. It is beneficial for symptoms such as abdominal distension and a sticky taste in the mouth caused by spleen deficiency with dampness or phlegm-damp obstruction. Diluting 1–2 drops and massaging clockwise on acupoints like Zhongwan (CV12) and Tianshu (ST25) can aid transportation, transformation, and the rise of clear yang—reflecting the TCM principle that “the spleen is the root of postnatal health and governs the transformation of dampness.”

• Clearing the Heart and Reducing Irritation, Opening the Orifices and Refreshing the Mind
Petitgrain has a mild heat-clearing and mind-refreshing effect, making it useful for restlessness and poor concentration caused by phlegm-heat disturbing the heart or excessive heart fire. Mild diffusion or diluted application to temples (Taiyang穴) and Fengchi (GB20) can clear heart fire, open the orifices, and refresh the spirit—embodying the TCM concepts that “the heart houses the mind” and “light botanical materials (leaves, flowers) tend to disperse.”

• Topical Use to Disperse Turbidity, Purify, and Harmonize
Its clear, bitter aroma helps dispel foul turbidity and purify the environment, making it suitable for symptoms like heaviness in the head and body or low mood caused by damp-heat climates or internal turbid pathogens. Home diffusion can resolve dampness and ward off impurities, while combining with massage of liver and spleen meridian points enhances its draining and purifying effects.