Is Lemon Essential Oil Our Sour Savior?
One of our favorite summer fruits, lemon essential oil can be used in various remedies all year around. Opposed to the tangy lemon juice we love squeezed in our water and over our seafood, the essential oil is extracted from the peel of fresh lemons and is widely known for its purifying properties.
There are just five drops of lemon essential oil in one lemon, taking around 75 lemons to fill one 15ml bottle. This concentration gives lemon essential oil particular strength as a nontoxic cleaner to disinfect countertops, sinks, bathrooms, tile, and other surfaces. It can also remove grime (combine carrier oil, baking soda, + lemon essential oil; let sit for 10-15min; scrape; clean; repeat if needed), polish wood and shine stainless steel (4oz olive oil + 10-15 drops lemon essential oil); rub in with soft cloth; wipe off), remove scuff marks and silver tarnish (straight), and much more.
With a strong, powerful aroma that’s clean, fresh, and citrusy, lemon essential oil is great for fragrance and air purification. Air diffusion is a popular usage of this oil, as it simultaneously cleans the air and eliminates odor with its energizing and uplifting aroma.
Aromatherapy with lemon essential oil is powerful in its mood enhancing abilities, standing at the top with lavender, bergamot, orange, lemongrass, Ylang Ylang, and others in their potential to alleviate anxiety. In a study conducted by Behavioral Brain Research on three essential oils known to reduce stress, lemon, lavender, and rose, it was found that lemon essential oil had the strongest anti-stress effect by acting on dopamine (BBR). In doing this, it has been regarded by its ability to calm the nerves — quite literally, by calming the autonomic nervous system.
The smell of citrus is calming to the nervous system, relaxing our muscles, reducing inflammation, thus relieving tension and anxiety in the psyche. With this knowledge, it’s now being considered for its potential ability to relieve depression and other mood disorders as well.
Lemon essential oil is a natural analgesic for pain relief and an antiseptic that can fight certain bacteria and viruses. Its astringent and antimicrobial properties can be especially helpful for those with acne-prone skin, as it kills the bacteria that causes acne, brightens the skin, and reduces inflammation. By way of reduced inflammation, lemon essential oil is also regarded as a means of promoting digestion and easing constipation.
Uses
Medicinal
Reduce inflammation
Promote digestion
Air purification
Acne treatment
Relieve nervous tension
Anxiety & Depression
Cosmetic
Brighten skin and hair
Fragrance and perfume
Promote cell growth
Therapeutic
Reduce stress
Anxiety relief
Energizing
Increase dopamine
Practical
Sterilizing
Air purification
Remove grime, grease, and scuff marks
Polish silver, steel, and wood
Eliminate odor
Komiya M, Takeuchi T, Harada E. Lemon oil vapor causes an anti-stress effect via modulating the 5-HT and DA activities in mice. Behav Brain Res.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16780969/
