Lemon essential oil is derived from the lemon tree, a small evergreen plant that is indigenous to the Asian region. The lemon tree is thought to be around since the dawn of civilisation as it is believed that the trees were first introduced in Europe around 200 A.D. It then spread across the various parts of the world, ranging from the Middle East to North Africa and then to the American region. In total, it took approximately 1300 years!

This citrus oil is definitely an “essential” (pun intended) oil to have in your arsenal. Lemons are indeed antioxidant powerhouses, and this oil is known to be able to address a variety of health concerns! It has a citrus-like aroma that is both uplifting and makes everything smell clean.

Obtained from the cold compression of the peels of the fruit, this essential oil is undoubtedly one of the best and most practical oils to have, since it provides a holistic remedy to your myriad concerns. Read on to find out more!

Uses of Lemon Essential Oil:

1. Antibacterial and Antifungal Agent

Lemon essential oil is known for its antimicrobial abilities. In fact, according to a journal study from the International Journal of Food Microbiology, lemon oil is most probably one of the most powerful antimicrobial agent. It is able to treat wounds, cuts and scrapes as well as fungal infections such as candida, which can affect the skin, throat, mouth and the genitals as it eradicates the bacteria and fungal strains out from your skin.

A 2014 study carried out by researchers from University of Opole in Poland found that lemon oil exhibited strong antifungal potential against Candida yeast strains, which is due to the high monoterpenoid content that gives the oil its antimicrobial nature. As such, it is a great antiseptic agent to include in your first aid kits!

How to Use it: You can dilute lemon essential oil with equal parts of a carrier oil (such as coconut or jojoba oils) and apply onto the wound, cuts and scrapes. Be sure to avoid open wounds and cuts. If you are suffering from a skin fungal infection, try adding 2 tablespoons of vinegar, 3 drops of lemon oil and 4 drops of tea tree oil to 3 cups of lukewarm water and gently massage onto the affected areas.

2. Enhances Mood and Decreases Stress

Lemon essential oil also has a very stimulating and uplifting scent that is perfect for curbing stress and anxiety. Its antidepressant attributes make it a great essential oil to relieve stress and induce a sense of relaxation. Yet, it is also able to stimulate your senses and improve memory levels, as well as provide a sense of mental clarity to boost your concentration levels!

A 2008 study carried out by researchers from The Ohio State University in Columbus found that lemon oil reliably enhanced positive moods in the volunteers in the experiment, as compared to those who inhaled water and lavender oil. The hormone, norepinephrine, which plays a role in cognition and learning, was also enhanced after inhaling lemon oil.

Another 2006 study done by researchers from Yamaguchi University in Japan found that lemon oil, out of lavender and rose essential oils, exhibited the strongest anti-stress effect in the mice. As such, they concluded that lemon oil possesses much anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effects, known to be able to improve moods drastically.

How to Use it: You can diffuse lemon oil using a diffuser or vaporizer and put it on your work desk table or on your bedside table. Alternatively, you can add 5-6 drops of the oil in a tub of warm, bathing water to soak your tense nerves and anxiety away.

3. Promotes Skin Health

Since lemon oil contains antimicrobial properties, it can help get rid of bacteria lingering on the skin, thus helping to treat and alleviate skin conditions like acne and psoriasis. It can also help to prevent wounds, cuts and scrapes from worsening in this way.

Furthermore, lemon oil is an astringent and filled with antioxidants, which serves to tighten the skin further and prevents loose as well as sagging skin, thus helping to delay the onset of ageing.

Lemon oil also seeks to deep cleanse your skin and for those who have oily skin, lemon oil is also great for you because it acts as a natural toner that serves to reduce the amount of sebum produced by the sebaceous glands and pores of your skin. This hence helps to mitigate the occurrences of acne, which has been above mentioned.

How to Use it: You can actually make your own lemon oil toner by adding about 30 drops of lemon oil with ½ cup of water and ½ cup of witch hazel. Alternatively, you can simply dilute the oil with a carrier oil (such as coconut or jojoba oil) in a 1:1 ratio and apply onto the affected areas.

4. Offers Pain Relief

Possibly due to its relaxant properties, lemon oil is great to treat and manage pain levels caused by a variety of conditions, such as lower back pain, headache, migraine and neck pain. In fact, a 2002 research study published in Behavioural Brain Research found that lemon essential oil, when given to male and female rats to be inhaled, resulted in a significant decrease of flinching and flexing as well as decreased their tendencies to lick their injected and injured paws.

This hence indicates how lemon essential oil actually helps to modulate the behavioural and neuronal responses that are related to pain.

How to Use it: Dilute lemon oil with a carrier oil in a 1:1 ratio and apply onto the affected areas. If you are experiencing headaches/migraines, then rub some of the oil onto your temples and back of the necks.

5. Boosts the Immune System

Since it has been mentioned that lemon is an antioxidant powerhouse and has high vitamin content, lemon essential oil is great for boosting the body’s immune system as it stimulates the body’s lymphatic system and the white blood cells as well as boost circulation. This thus strengthens your body’s defence mechanism and helps to ward off diseases, infections, sickness and ailments to ensure that your body remains healthy at all times.

How to Use it: You can diffuse a few drops of lemon essential oil in your diffuser and vaporizer to be inhaled.

6. As an Effective All-Purpose Household Cleaning Agent

Besides having the abovementioned health benefits, lemon essential oil also serves as a great multi-purpose cleaning agent that is all-natural. This serves as a viable alternative to the synthetic and commercial cleaning agents as well as wood polishes, which might contain toxic substances that can irritate your eyes, skin and respiratory tracts.

You can spray it on kitchen tops, surfaces and appliances to get rid of bacteria, fungi and molds and to give your house a clean and antiseptic smell. Besides that, lemon oil is useful for polishing wood, silverware and jewelry as it helps to bring back the luster and shine of the wood and silverware, while helping to protect it against anymore scratches and stains.

How to Use it: For an all-natural disinfectant solution, add about 30-40 drops of lemon oil and 20 drops of tea tree oil to a 16-oz spray bottle containing water and a little bit of white vinegar. Shake well and proceed to spray on appliances and places where you think there is bacteria, fungi and molds growing. For a wood and silver polish, try adding ½ cup of olive oil or sweet almond oil and 10-15 drops of lemon oil to soak your cloth in so as to spruce up your wood, silver and jewelry!

7. Promotes Weight Loss

There has been some scientific literature to test the efficacy of lemon oil in promoting weight loss. This is because lemon oil, like many other citrus fruits, contains limonene which helps to facilitate the breakdown of white adipose tissues that stores fats for energy and helps boost metabolism levels. As such, it can help prevent overeating and weight gain.

A 2003 study published in the SAGE Journal of Experimental Biology and Medicine found that an aromatherapy fragrance of grapefruit and lemon essential oils actually led to an increased sympathetic nerve activity to the white adipose tissues which resulted in an increase in lipolysis and a suppression in body weight gain in the anesthetized rat subjects.

How to Use it: Like what the experiment suggests, you can try creating a massage blend that consists of 7 drops of pure lemon oil and grapefruit essential oil each with ¼ cup of sweet almond oil and gently rub it on your stomach and lower abdominal area.

Safety Precautions:

• Lemon essential oil, like most citrus-based essential oils, is phototoxic. This means that you should avoid exposure to sunlight and UV rays for at least 12 hours after topical application of diluted lemon oil onto your skin because it can otherwise result in burns.

• While applying lemon oil topically onto your skin, be sure to dilute it with a carrier oil and perform a skin patch test first on a small part of your body to ensure that you do not have sensitive or allergic reactions to it.

• While lemon oil is generally considered safe and non-toxic for adults, it is wise for pregnant and nursing women to avoid it. Always consult your doctor beforehand when in doubt.

References:

Bialon M, et al., “The influence of chemical composition of commercial lemon essential oils on the growth of Candida strains”, Mycopathologia (2014); 177(1-2)

Kiecolt-Glaser JK, et al., “Olfactory influences on mood and autonomic, endocrine, and immune function”, Psychoneuroendocrinology (2008); 33(3)

Komiya M, et al., “Lemon oil vapor causes an anti-stress effect via modulating the 5-HT and DA activities in mice”, Behavioural Brain Research (2006); 172(2)

Anna Maria Aloisi, et al., “Effects of the essential oil from citrus lemon in male and female rats exposed to a persistent painful stimulation”, Behavioural Brain Research (2002); 136(1)

Akira Niijima, Katsuya Nagai, “Effect of Olfactory Stimulation with Flavor of Grapefruit Oil and Lemon Oil on the Activity of Sympathetic Branch in the White Adipose Tissue of the Epididymis”, Experimental Biology and Medicine (2003)