Weleda Citrus Series

”Do you know the land where the lemons bloom?“ is one of Johann Wolfgang Goethe's most famous verses. Even 200 years after its publication, sunshine and citrus fruits are still the epitome of the Mediterranean way of life. The citrus plants are not indigenous in the Mediterranean area. Home of the oldest known varieties of citrus, namely tangerine, grapefruit and citron are Northeast India and southwestern China. All other citrus fruits such as orange, lime or lemon originated from mutations or crossings of the original varieties. The first cultivated citrus fruit was probably the citron (Citrus medica). It was used as a medicine in ancient China over 3,000 years ago. In India, the golden fruit was considered a symbol of luck and prosperity. A variant that is particularly popular in Asia is still known today as ”Hand of Buddha“. Each fruit segment is individually surrounded by peel; thus the shape of the fruit is reminiscent of an opening hand.

But how did the citrus fruits get to the Mediterranean? According to a popular theory, they owe their expansion to an ancient Jewish tradition. At the seven-day Festival of Tabernacles (Sukkot), one of the three Jewish pilgrimage festivals, a festive bouquet of palm branches, myrtle branches, willow branches and a lemon fruit is used in the services. These four plants symbolize the four types of humans among the people of Israel. During prayers, the bouquet is waved in all four cardinal points as well as up and down. The custom with the fragrant fruit formed more than 2,500 years ago in Babylon, where numerous Jews lived in exile. When their descendants later returned home, they brought little lemon trees to the Mediterranean. For a long time, it was assumed that in ancient times, only the citron was cultivated. However, there are a number of interesting written sources from the 1st century that speak of ”citrus“. For example, the Roman physician Aelius Galenus describes a fruit that is very reminiscent of lemon, as we know it today. Therefore, some botanists assume that there were already two different citrus plants in the Roman Empire.

In the 9th century, the Arabs brought a new citrus fruit to Europe, namely the bitter orange. It was first grown in Spain and Sicily. In the following centuries, the different citrus plants crossed each other in the Mediterranean area again and again. This way many new variants and even completely new species developed. The lemon (Citrus limon), for example, is a crossing between a lemon and a bitter orange. In the 16th century, it came into fashion that rich Italian families would collect citrus plants. The gardens and patios of their estates were decorated with particularly beautiful or unusual lemon and orange trees. Due to the many crossings and mutations, however, it was very difficult to distinguish between the different plants. The botanist Giovanni Baptista Ferrari was only able to classify them in the middle of the 17th century. He counted segments and seeds of the fruits, compared the taste of the juice and documented the color, texture and density of the peel. In addition, he sent extensive questionnaires to all Italian farmers who grew citrus fruits. In his analysis, Ferrari divided the citrus plants into three categories: citrons, lemons and oranges. His systematic research work also made him a pioneer of modern natural science.

For centuries people have appreciated citrus fruits for their taste and fragrance. Apart from mint, there is hardly any natural scent that brings as much freshness. Weleda, too, focuses on the invigorating effect of fruity, lemony freshness in the Care Series Citrus. With its summery fragrance it brings freshness, lightness and energy into your day.

The Weleda Citrus Refreshing Shower Gel refreshes with the light fragrance of essential oils of lemon and Litsea cubeba. Organic sesame oil preserves the skin's natural moisture and leaves it soft and supple. The Express Moisturising Body Lotion Citrus with organic aloe vera gel and coconut oil provides the skin with an extra portion of moisture. The light fragrance of the Citrus Refreshing Oil supports you in your daily body care routine and during uplifting massages. Fine almond oil makes the skin particularly supple and protects it from moisture loss. The Citrus Deodorant and Citrus Deodorant Roll-on surround the skin with an invigorating breeze of fruity lemon freshness. The formulation with natural essential oils from citrus fruits and Litsea cubeba ensures a mild deodorising effect.