Nicknamed “liquid sunshine”, lemon essential oil’s (or Citrus limon) fresh and tangy aroma is one that most of us are familiar with or, at least, can easily recognize.
From exfoliating skin, promoting positive mood, and disinfecting the house to repelling insect, sanitizing toothbrush, and eliminating dandruff — lemon essential oil does it all and more.
Let’s dig deeper into this tantalizing essential oil and learn more about its extensive uses and benefits.
What is Lemon Essential Oil Made Of?
Lemon essential oil is sourced from the peel of the Citrus limon fruit. Compact and evergreen, lemon trees are often considered to be a cross between bitter orange and citron. They were initially grown only for decorative purposes but once the fruits’ versatile uses were discovered, the rest was history.
Lemon trees are now grown all over the world but they are native to Asia. Generally, lemon trees grow up to approximately 6 meters with fragrant pink or white flowers. The fruits itself, the lemons, are green and turn yellow as they ripen.
In comparison to other citrus plants, lemon trees are a tad bit more sensitive when it comes to temperature. Anything lower than 13 ᵒC and the trees become dormant. True to their nickname of “liquid sunshine”, lemon trees need full sunlight to grow and thrive.
How is Lemon Essential Oil Extracted?
Lemon essential oil is obtained from the peels (also referred to as skins or rinds) of fresh lemons using cold expression. For a yield of 1 lb., you will need about 1000 lemons. Once extracted, the lemon essential oil is yellowish-green in color and has a watery consistency. It also gives off that familiar crisp and refreshing scent.
Benefits of Lemon Essential Oil
1. Part of your skincare routine
If you are looking for a crystal-clear complexion that glows in good health, look no further than lemon essential oil. The essential oil’s astringent and detoxifying properties clear away dirt, grime, and any impurities. Besides that, its antiseptic properties also keep the skin clear of bacteria that cause breakouts.
Add a drop or two of lemon essential oil to your cleanser for blemish-free skin. If you require something more purifying, make your own exfoliant scrub with the essential oil. Combine four to five drops of the essential oil with some ground oatmeal and water. You can switch out the water with a carrier oil like coconut oil, too. Apply the scrub to your face to exfoliate.
2. As a mood booster
Want to start the day right? Diffuse lemon essential oil to set the tone for the day. The oil’s chemical makeup helps to promote positive moods. So, add four to five drops of lemon essential oil to your diffuser now. Or, you can also place two to three drops of the essential oil in your hands, rub them against each other, and inhale the invigorating scent to boost mood and concentration.
3. Promotes healing of wounds
Chock-full of vitamin C as well as various antioxidants and antimicrobial properties, lemon essential oil is a great addition to your first aid kit. Make full use of this healing oil when you have cuts, minor wounds, and scrapes.
A 2016 animal study showed that the essential oil even helped to speed up the healing of tissue infected with mange.
Simply cleanse the wound, cut, or scrape with diluted lemon essential oil to quickly disinfect and sanitize it.
4. Sanitizes your toothbrush
Add a drop of lemon essential oil to your toothbrush to sanitize and deodorize it. Do this once every week. As another option, you can also dilute five to six drops of the essential oil with some water and soak your toothbrush in this solution.
5. Freshens up your clothes
If you are a fan of the refreshing and heady fragrance of lemon essential oil, you can envelop yourself in this scent all day long. Just add a few drops of the essential oil to the final cycle of your laundry. Not only will your clothes (and washing machine) smell amazing, the oil will also help to freshen up your laundry.
6. Purifies the air in your home and removes odors
Now, lemon essential oil truly shines when it comes to sprucing up your home. Purify the air in your home by diffusing a few drops of the essential oil. This will help to eliminate odors and leaves your home smelling fresh and clean.
7. Excellent natural cleaning agent
Lemon essential oil is the answer to achieving spotless surfaces in your kitchen and bathroom. Mix the essential oil with water in a spray bottle and use it as a cleaning solution. Spray the solution on countertops, sink, drawers, cupboards, and anything else that could do with some cleaning and purifying.
To increase the efficacy and potency of the solution, switch out the water with vinegar.
8. Removes grease
Whether it is grease from working in the garage or grease from cooking, lemon essential oil can take care of it all. Add a drop or two of lemon oil to your soap and give your hands a good scrub to get rid of the grease. This solution will work to remove grease and stains from dishes, too.
9. Effortlessly removes glues and sticky residues
There is nothing more annoying than peeling off the price tag of a new item only to find a sticky residue left behind on the surface. Well, lemon essential oil can make sure that this annoyance is a thing of the past. The oil can help you to easily and effectively remove labels and glues or adhesive without leaving behind a mess.
10. Maintains and polishes wood and leather furniture
A wipe-down with lemon essential oil will leave your wood furniture shining and replace lost moisture in the wood. Simply mix a few drops of the essential oil with olive oil in a spray bottle. Then, proceed to spray the solution on the wood and rub in circular motions with a soft cloth.
Make sure, however, to test this combination on a discreet spot before applying it to the entire furniture.
On top of that, lemon essential oil’s preserving qualities also help to preserve leather furniture and prevent the leather from splitting. Soak a piece of cloth in lemon essential oil and wipe down the leather furniture to bring back its natural shine and beauty.
Mixing Lemon Essential Oil with Other Essential Oils
Lemon essential oil’s bold and refreshing aroma blends well with most other essential oils. This includes cedarwood, chamomile, eucalyptus, frankincense, geranium, peppermint, sandalwood, and ylang-ylang.
In addition to the above, lemon essential oil also pairs remarkably well with other citrus oils such as sweet orange and bergamot.
Other Good-to-Know Information
Lemon essential is generally safe for use. However, there is some concern that it can cause phototoxicity when used topically. This can cause irritation, redness, and burning sensation. Therefore, it is best to avoid direct sunlight when you are using this essential oil.
A skin patch test should also be done before you start using the essential oil liberally.
Is Lemon Essential Oil Right for You?
Bright, bold, and refreshing, it would be near-impossible for anyone to resist the charm of “liquid sunshine”, indeed. Give lemon essential oil a try and we are certain you will fall in love with its irresistible charms.
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