Our pure lemon essential oil is cold pressed from the rind of Citrus limon, the classic lemon used to make delicacies such as lemonade and lemon meringue. Since ancient times, lemons have had a multiplicity of uses. The uplifting properties of lemon essential oil were known in the Middle East since Biblical times, and in Italy since the era of imperial Rome.
A small evergreen tree that’s probably native to Southeast Asia and China, the lemon produces a distinctive oval-shaped fruit with a bright yellow rind and flesh. Due to its high citric acid content, lemon juice is very sour and makes an excellent preservative for foods such as sliced fruits and vegetables. Lemon juice denatures the enzymes that cause cut fruits such as apples to brown, so a coat of lemon juice makes a great cosmetic preservative. The juice is also used to tenderize meat and fish. Lemon pulp and zest, or grated peel, also feature widely in cooking and baking, to add zing to both sweet and savory dishes.
The lemon’s usefulness extends far beyond the kitchen: the juice of a fresh-squeezed lemon may be one of the oldest cleansing substances that has remained in continuous use, with the ability to remove grime, fingerprints, and stains from almost any surface. Lemon oil and juice are also powerfully disinfecting [1] and can eliminate household odors as tenacious as cigarette smoke and curry smells. Sailors in the pre-modern era were also given lemon juice, which is high in vitamin C, to prevent the devastating effects of scurvy [2].
Most people naturally gravitate to the invigorating smell of pure lemon essential oil—like its cousin bergamot oil, the bergaptene content of lemon oil can provide a natural mood lift and improve mental concentration when it’s inhaled [1]. Some Japanese banks have taken to diffusing lemon oil to improve worker concentration and decrease typing errors [3]. The stimulating sour undertones of lemon oil act as a gastric stimulant, improving appetite and digestion [4], while the oil’s astringent qualities can be a boon for balancing oily skin and treating blemishes [5].
Like most essential oils, you should always dilute lemon oil and do a small patch test on your inner arm or wrist before applying it to your skin. Additionally, lemon essential can produce skin sensitization or irritation when exposed to sunlight, so make sure to always wait at least 24 hours before sun exposure after applying lemon oil [3].
Lemon essential oil has left its mark on aromatherapy as a natural antiseptic and astringent, with an energizing scent that will have you picturing the sun-drenched lemon groves of Italy whenever you smell it!
REFERENCES
1. “Health Benefits of Lemon Oil”. Organic Facts. Accessed June 30th, 2014. http://www.organicfacts.net/organic-oils/natural-essential-oils/health-benefits-of-lemon-oil.html.
2. “Lemon”. Wikipedia. Last modified June 9th, 2014. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemon.
3. “Uses of Lemon”. Balance Spa Boca. Accessed June 30th, 2014. http://balancespaboca.com/part-4-uses-lemon/.
4. Boling, Janice. “Lemons and Lemon Essential Oil in Herbal Medicine”. Every Green Herb. Accessed June 30th, 2014. http://www.everygreenherb.com/lemon.html.
5. “Essential Oils for Skin”. The Dermatology Review. Accessed June 27th, 2014. http://www.thedermreview.com/essential-oils-for-skin/.