Grapefruit oil is usually obtained through cold expression of the peel of the fruit. It is yellowish to greenish in color and has a fresh citrus, rather sweet smell. The smell resembles that of sweet orange oil to some degree, but also has notes in common with bitter orange oil. The bitterness known primarily from European and Middle Eastern fruits and peels is not present in today's American grapefruit oil. Advanced cultivation and refinement of the fruit (better juice, flesh, fewer seeds, etc.) have made the oil from the peel milder and sweeter smelling than it was a few decades ago.
Grapefruit oil is very useful in bergamot compositions and for all modifications of citrus notes in perfumery.
To achieve the distinctive grapefruit note in a perfume, however, we recommend combining it with the aroma chemical Methyl Pamplemousse/Amarocit. Methyl Pamplemousse is mainly used for its characteristic bitter grapefruit scent. The scent is not very strong, but due to the special bitter aspect it is detectable even in lower concentrations.