When Life Gives You Lemons, Use This Guide to Add Lemon Essential Oil to Your Daily Routine
Lemon essential oil is completely natural and provides incredible health and beauty benefits.
With its bright and joyful aroma, it’s known to boost energy levels, help with depression, rejuvenate the skin, kill harmful bacteria, and reduce inflammation.
In recent years, medical studies have reaffirmed the claims made by those who have used lemon essential oil in bygone eras. Read on to explore the various ways you can use lemon essential oil and discover its history, benefits, and even possible side effects!
Content/Quick links
- What is lemon essential oil?
- Lemon essential oil - quick facts
- How is lemon essential oil made?
- Benefits of lemon essential oil
- Lemon essential oil for skin care
- Lemon essential oil as disinfectant
- Lemon essential oil as mood booster
- Lemon essential oil as insect repellent
- Lemon essential oil as wood polish
- How to use lemon essential oil
- Inhalation of lemon essential oil
- Aromatherapy massage with lemon oil
- Aromatherapy bath with lemon oil
- Spray with lemon oil
- Lemon essential oil research
- Mood-boosting properties of lemon essential oil - 2006
- Focus and learning benefits of lemon essential oil - 2005 & 2010
- Anti-aging benefits of lemon essential oil - 1999 & 2017
- Antimicrobial properties of lemon essential oil - 2019 & 2021
- Side effects of lemon essential oil
- Where to buy lemon essential oil
- volant
- Amazon
- Local Pharmacies
- DoTERRA
- Lemon essential oil FAQs
- Can I mix lavender and lemon essential oils?
- Are lemon essential oil and lemon juice the same thing?
- Can I use lemon essential oil on my face?
- In summary
What is lemon essential oil?
Lemon essential oil is a natural extract obtained mainly from the rind of the lemon and is characterized by its sweet, sharp fragrance.
The lemon tree is a small evergreen tree that can reach up to five meters high. It is thought to have originated in the southern region of India, although some argue that it originated in China.
Initially the lemon was merely used as a decorative piece. However, after its multitude of healing powers were discovered, lemon oil has been noted and used for centuries by many cultures across the world.
Lemon essential oil - quick facts
🍋 Latin name: Citrus Limon
🍋 Also known as: Liquid Sunshine
🍋 Origin: Asia
🍋 Scent note: Citrus, astringent, fresh
🍋 Production: 3000 fruits are required to get 1 L of essential oil
🍋 Popular uses: Stress relief and skin toning
How is lemon essential oil made?
The process used to extract lemon essential oil is rather interesting and unique. Lemon is one of the few oils that is cold pressed rather than steam distilled.
Historically, many citrus oils were extracted using a process called sponge pressing, which involved pressing the rinds by hand. Today, cold pressing is the most effective way to extract essential oils from the waxy peel.
In cold pressing, the fruit’s rind is pierced by rasping cylinders. During this process, small sacs in the rind containing the essential oils burst open. Water is then sprayed over the fruit, which results in a mixture of fruit flesh, water and essential oil. This mixture is then filtered and centrifuged to separate out the pure essential oil.
While the process to extract an oil using cold expression is labor intensive, it is well worth the effort. When done properly, cold pressing produces quality oils with a beautifully potent fragrance.
Benefits of lemon essential oil
Lemon essential oil has a variety of uses and benefits for your home and health.
Some of the most common uses and benefits include:
- 🍋 Skin care
- 🍋 Disinfection
- 🍋 Mood booster
- 🍋 Insect repellent
- 🍋 Wood polish
Unpacking this further, you’ll find an abundance of uses for lemon essential oil in your daily self-care routine, for other health benefits or around your home.
Lemon essential oil for skin care
Lemon essential oil acts as an astringent and detoxifier, and its antiseptic properties help in restoring the skin’s natural balance. If you suffer from breakouts, diluting lemon essential oil with a carrier oil and applying it to your face can help eliminate any bacteria caught in your pores and causing breakouts.
Lemon essential oil as disinfectant
Use lemon oil to sanitize your home or use it as a natural remedy to invigorate your health. Try adding a few drops to your laundry cycle to freshen up and disinfect your linen. As a bonus, your washing machine will smell clean too!
Lemon essential oil as mood booster
Lemon essential oil is often called liquid sunshine, and for good reason! Diffuse in the room or place a few drops in your hands, rub and inhale. Lemon activates the pleasure hormone dopamine. It also stimulates creativity, memory and learning. No wonder we love it so much!
Lemon essential oil as insect repellent
If you’re looking to ward off pesky insects like mosquitoes in the summertime, lemon essential oil can make for a good DIY insect repellent. All you have to do is dilute some of the oil with a carrier oil and rub the product on your skin, and those little critters will bother you much less.
Lemon essential oil as wood polish
Lemon oil is a common ingredient in many brands of wood polish because it helps nourish the wood and makes it shine. But you can make your own DIY wood polish with lemon essential oil and olive oil or mineral oil in a spray bottle. Just get a soft cloth and polish away, enjoying the fresh, inspiring scent in the process!
How to use lemon essential oil
Because lemon essential oil is so versatile, how you choose to use the oil is entirely up to you.
Consider adding a few drops of oil with your cleaning products for a citrus fragrance. Its zesty and fresh notes are delightful in the warmer months and provide a calm and soothing atmosphere.
Because lemon naturally contains vitamin C, an antioxidant that helps reduce skin damage and premature aging, it might be wise to consider adding some lemon drops to your nighttime skin care routine.
Let’s look at other ways you can put this zesty and joyful scent to use:
- 🍋 Inhalation
- 🍋 Aromatherapy massage
- 🍋 Aromatherapy bath
- 🍋 Spray
Let’s take a look at each of these uses of lemon essential oil in more detail.
Inhalation of lemon essential oil
One of the most effective ways to use the oil is to add a few drops to your diffuser and simply inhale the citrus aroma. If you need a pick-me-up before a busy day ahead, switch on the diffuser and breathe in deeply.
Inhaling lemon essential oil can also help reduce stress levels, stimulate concentration, boost immunity, and improve your mood.
Aromatherapy massage with lemon essential oil
Adding lemon essential oil to an aromatherapy massage has a cleansing and protective effect on the body. It helps to defend the body against harmful pathogens and promotes detoxification through the blood and liver. The natural oil also stimulates lymphatic drainage, which helps the body to clear itself of wastes and toxins.
Aromatherapy bath with lemon essential oil
Lemon oil works as a natural relaxant. So, you may want to run a warm bath and add 4 to 6 drops of the lemon essential oil to your bath water along with a carrier oil, then sit back and relax for a bit to allow the aroma to work its magic.
Spray lemon essential oil
Lemon essential oil works as a natural disinfectant because of its natural compounds; limonene and b-pinene. Clean your home with lemon essential oil by adding 2-8 drops to a spray bottle filled with water. You can use this to free your space from invading and harmful bacteria.
Lemon essential oil research
Lavender and the nervous system - 2013
In 2006, a study done by Migiwa Komiya at Yamaguci University in Japan examined the benefits of lemon essential oil compared to other oils such as lavender and rose oils. The findings showed that lemon essential oil enhances mood, is a powerful calming aid and is also effective in relieving stress.
Focus and learning benefits of lemon essential oil - 2005 & 2010
A 2010 study found that inhaling lemon essential oil improved concentration and learning outcomes in animals. In addition, a study from 2005 found that inhaling lemon essential oil improved concentration, learning and test performance in a fourth-grade classroom.
Anti-aging benefits of lemon essential oil - 1999 & 2017
It should come as no surprise that lemon essential oil has antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, which make it a popular anti-aging ingredient in skincare products. Lemons are also high in vitamin C, which we know boosts collagen in the skin and provides antioxidant and anti-aging effects.
Antimicrobial properties of lemon essential oil - 2019 & 2021
When it comes to keeping yourself and your family protected from harmful bacteria, lemon is a wonderful agent. A 2019 study found that lemon oil can act as a natural antimicrobial agent against food-borne bacteria. A recent study in 2021 also showed that lemon essential oil is effective against bacteria such as several strains of Staphylococcus.
Lemon is a very powerful ingredient within all cleaning products, but especially in organic cleaning products because of the two dominant compounds found in lemon oil, namely limonene and b-pinene.
Side effects of lemon essential oil
Even though there are many benefits to using lemon essential oil, there are some side effects to be aware of.
Because of its acidity, lemon oil should be used sparingly. If you have sensitive skin, it’s advised to use a good quality carrier oil and do a patch test before using it on delicate areas.
Although lemon essential oil can be good for the skin, a small amount of lemon oil should be used in bath water as it could burn or irritate the skin. While it is loaded with health benefits, lemon is highly concentrated and is best used when well diluted.
As with other essential oils, if you are pregnant, epileptic or have any other medical condition of concern, you should consult with a doctor before using any essential oils.
Where to buy lemon essential oil
You'll find lemon essential oil available both online and in stores. Ensure that the essential oil of your choice is 100% pure, and preferably organic, to safely experience its full potential.
Let's look at some of the different places where you can buy lemon essential oil.
volant
Volant essential oils are produced using the highest-quality plants, harvested, and distilled with the utmost care. Our pure Organic Lemon Essential Oil is no exception! Volant’s Scandinavian minimalist approach offers purity and integrity. At volant, we cut out the middleman, allowing us to produce quality organic essential oils at affordable prices.
Amazon
Amazon is a great place to make online purchases. While you’re browsing the unlimited options of sprucing up your home, add a pure lemon essential oil to your cart and, before you check out, make sure you read the reviews on the oil of your choice. 4+ stars are always guaranteed to give you the best experience.
Local Pharmacies
Lemon essential oil may be found at your local pharmacies. As always, it is important to check that you are purchasing a pure, organic oil.
DoTERRA
DoTerra is best known for its variety of therapeutic essential oils. You can’t go wrong when visiting their site, as you’ll find the best oils guaranteed to be 100% pure. But as always, remember to dilute the product before applying it to the skin if that’s how you choose to use it. And of course, you’ll need to locate a distributor or become a member first.
Lemon essential oil FAQs
Can I mix lavender and lemon essential oils?
Lemon essential oil and lavender essential oil can assist in combating nausea or anxiety. Both essential oils offer a multitude of benefits, and you can choose to use them alone or in combination. The combination also makes for a wonderfully fresh scent.
Are lemon essential oil and lemon juice the same thing?
It is important to note that lemon oil is not the same as lemon juice! Lemon oil is largely extracted from the rind, whereas lemon juice is obtained by squeezing the fruit. To be safe, we do not recommend ingesting essential oils orally.
Can I use lemon essential oil on my face?
Often, lemon oil is used to treat skin conditions such as acne. When diluted in water and applied topically, the oil is best known for killing bacteria that often gets trapped in our pores. It is advisable to consult a physician or dermatologist before using.
In summary
Lemon essential oil has been used for thousands of years across cultures for its variety of benefits. These include boosting energy levels, aiding depression, rejuvenating the skin and killing harmful bacteria.
Lemon essential oil is available from several different retailers; however, it's important to check that the product is 100% pure and organic. Given that lemon oil is extracted via the cold-press technique, it is paramount that no chemicals or insecticides are used on the fruit.
Here at volant, every essential oil that we produce is 100% pure, ensuring that you receive the highest quality product possible.
We’re here to help if you have any questions about lemon essential oil. Contact us at support@volantaroma.com and we’ll be happy to help!
