Ingredient Spotlight: Green Mandarin

Ingredient Spotlight · Plant Active

Green Mandarin

The sunny citrus of vitality. Harvested before ripening for peak freshness, green mandarin tones, brightens and scents our radiance care.

The portrait of a citrus picked young, richer in actives than its ripe version.

ToningRadianceAntioxidantEnergizingAstringent
Shop our green mandarin treatments
Common name
Green mandarin, unripe mandarin.
INCI name
Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin Orange) Peel Oil / Citrus Reticulata Peel Extract.
Family, type
Rutaceae (citrus); toning essential oil and peel extract.
Found in nature
The mandarin tree (Citrus reticulata) is grown around the Mediterranean, in China and in Italy. Green mandarin is harvested early in the season, before the fruit ripens and turns orange.
How it's obtained
Cold expression of the peel for the essential oil; maceration and concentration for the extract.
Typical concentration
0.3% to 2% depending on the form.
Organoleptic properties
Appearance: yellow-green liquid; Scent: sparkling green citrus, tangier than ripe mandarin.
Physical characteristics
Fat-soluble (essential oil); rich in limonene and flavonoids; early harvest concentrates more active compounds than the ripe fruit1.
Benefits
Toning, complexion-brightening, antioxidant, energizing, mildly astringent.
Cosmetic indications
Dull, tired skin lacking vitality; mature skin in need of radiance; body, for a toning effect.

Did you know?A little history

The mandarin owes its name to the mandarins, senior officials of imperial China, to whom this precious fruit was said to be offered as tribute.

Introduced to Europe in the early 19th century, it quickly became a holiday-season emblem. In skincare, it's the green version, harvested before ripening, that's most interesting: its young peel concentrates more essential oil and antioxidant compounds than the orange fruit1.

Yon-Ka chose it for its radiance and vitality formulas, including Cellular Code, our global anti-aging treatment.

General useWhy harvest early

As with many citrus fruits, ripening dilutes some of the active compounds concentrated in the young peel. By harvesting the mandarin before full ripeness, we obtain an essential oil richer in limonene and flavonoids, with a greener, more invigorating scent1,2.

A signature scent: green mandarin stands out with a fresher, more sparkling note than classic mandarin, making it as much a sensory active as a skin active in our radiance formulas.

Cosmetic useIts properties on skin

  • ToningIt stimulates microcirculation and restores tone to tired complexions.
  • RadianceIts flavonoids awaken the complexion's luminosity1.
  • AntioxidantIt protects skin from oxidative stress caused by pollution and UV.
  • EnergizingIts stimulating scent makes it an invigorating active, ideal in the morning.
  • AstringentIt slightly tightens pores and refines skin texture.
  • EveningWith regular use, it contributes to a more even complexion.

FormulationGreen mandarin at Yon-Ka

Essential oil and peel extract

Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil / Citrus Reticulata Peel Extract

The signature active of Cellular Code, our global anti-aging serum, also found in the Excellence Code line and our Lait Hydratant Vitality for the body.

Key active in: Cellular Code
Also found in: Le Contour – Excellence Code · Le Masque – Excellence Code · Lait Hydratant Vitality

In cosmeticsUses

  • Global anti-aging and radiance serums;
  • Eye care and anti-aging masks;
  • Toning, energizing body lotions.

The Yon-Ka approach

In Cellular Code, green mandarin brings the radiance dimension that complements the formula's global anti-aging action. In our Lait Hydratant Vitality, it's the signature active of an invigorating body ritual, designed to wake up the skin fresh out of the shower.

The science of the active, the sensoriality of the plant.

How to useAdding it to your ritual

  1. In the morning
    Cellular Code on face and neck, for a radiant complexion all day.
  2. After the shower
    Lait Hydratant Vitality in an invigorating massage, working up from the bottom of the body.

Good to knowStorage and precautions

Citrus essential oil is volatile and light-sensitive: close your products tightly.

Well tolerated when applied topically. Like any cold-pressed citrus essential oil, it may contain photosensitizing compounds: avoid applying a product containing it just before intense sun exposure2.

Go furtherSources

  1. Dosoky N.S., Setzer W.N. Biological Activities and Safety of Citrus spp. Essential Oils. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2018; 19(7): 1966. PubMed
  2. COSMILE Europe (Cosmetics Europe), cosmetic ingredient database, Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil. cosmileeurope.eu
Selection

Our green mandarin treatments

The Yon-Ka formulas where green mandarin is a key ingredient.

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