Lime today is mainly used as a cooking ingredient, as a way to spice up the flavour of cuisines and delicacies so as to make it more invigorating. However, in the past, lime was so useful to sailors and explorers onboard ships because of its potent ability to cure scurvy and other skin problems, that crates of lime were hauled onboard!

However, besides all those uses, lime can also be cold compressed from its fresh peels to create lime essential oil! Lime oil is probably one of the underrated citrus essential oils in the market, as they are mostly overshadowed by other popular citrus oils, such as lemon and orange. However, lime oil also contains much beneficial properties, thus containing much medicinal uses in turn to solve a variety of ailments and complaints.

Lime oil is derived from Citrus aurantifolia and its sweet, tart and citrusy aroma makes it an aromatically powerful oil that is also highly versatile! It can blend well with a variety of other oils. Coupled with its rich antioxidant nature, lime oil is no doubt a worthy investment to add to your essential oils collection! Read on to find out more about its health benefits and uses.

Health Benefits of Lime Essential Oil:

1. To Heal Wounds

Like most citrus essential oils, lime oil is lauded for its antibacterial and antimicrobial nature. It can be added into your first aid kits since it effectively cleans external wounds, cuts and scrapes from bacteria, thus mitigating the risks of infections. It prevents wounds from being septic and from incurring tetanus if the wound is made by a sharp iron object.

As such, lime essential oil as a natural home remedy for any wounds, cuts, insect bites or burns is great for speeding up recovery times and preventing harmful bacteria and infections from setting in, therefore preventing complications!

How to Use it: Dilute the oil with a carrier oil (such as coconut, jojoba or almond oil) in a 1:1 ratio and apply 2-3 drops of the diluted oil topically onto the affected area, while being careful to avoid open wounds. Alternatively, you can also add in a few drops to a cold compress and gently press it onto the affected part of the skin.

2. Provides Respiratory Relief

Due to its antibacterial and antiviral nature as abovementioned, lime oil is great for clearing up respiratory congestion and alleviating common respiratory ailments such as bronchitis, the common cold or flu. It helps to kill bacteria and viruses found in the respiratory and nasal passageways as well as alleviates infections which are causing blocked and difficult breathing.

As such, lime oil is great for curing and preventing such illnesses in the first place, and this benefits you greatly as it enables you to breathe much easily since it also clears up your respiratory and nasal passageways.

How to Use it: You can inhale the oil directly from the bottle in small dosages. Alternatively, you can create a steam inhalation by adding 5-6 drops of the oil into a bowl of hot, steamy water and gently lean in to breathe the aromatic and fragrant vapors emanating out for at least 5 minutes.

3. Augments Oral Health

Due to its bactericidal and antimicrobial nature, lime oil is beneficial for promoting the health of your teeth and gums. As our mouths are our primary mode of communication and eating, it is imperative that we maintain proper care of our oral hygiene at all times.

Lime essential oil is one of the many essential oils out there that can kill whatever bacteria and viruses that are lingering within your mouth cavities to bring about a much healthier state of your mouth.

As such, it helps to mitigate the risks of you incurring any gum or teeth diseases and infections. Furthermore, lime oil has astringent properties, which means it greatly helps to tighten your gums, thus cementing your teeth further in your gums and preventing them from being loose.

How to Use it: Simply add 1-2 drops of the oil in your toothpaste and proceed to brush your teeth with it. Alternatively, you can also add about 2-3 drops of the oil into a cup of water and use it as a gargle mixture. However, be sure that you do not ingest the mixture while brushing your teeth or while gargling.

4. Promotes Healthier Skin

Not only is it useful for the aforementioned properties, lime oil is also excellent for boosting the health of your skin and treating many concerns regarding the skin. If you are suffering from acne, then lime oil can be a great agent for you. Its antibacterial properties help to cleanse the skin and inhibit further pimple formation that contributes to the worsening of the condition.

Its astringent and antioxidant properties help to revitalize your skin and ensure that you would always look youthful and radiant! It helps to fight off free radicals damage and prevents the formation of wrinkles. It also helps to keep your skin tight and loose, thus preventing sagging skin. Therefore, lime oil can naturally help you to prevent signs of premature ageing, without needing to resort to prescribed drugs or supplement!

Furthermore, a 2015 research study that was published in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science demonstrated how lime essential oil, with its chemical constituents, can help to reduce melanogenesis, or melanin production, therefore contributing to a whitening of the skin. As such, lime oil can also be used as a potential skin-whitening agent!

How to Use it: Dilute the oil with a skin-friendly carrier oil (such as coconut or jojoba oil) and proceed to apply onto the affected areas. You can also rub it on your face and gently massage in circular formations to prevent signs of ageing and to whiten your skin.

5. Promotes Digestive Health

Additionally, by being an aperitif, lime essential oil is also a beneficial agent to boost appetite levels and to promote the secretion of digestive juices into the stomach and intestine area to increase your appetite and to facilitate proper digestion.

Its antiviral and antibacterial nature not only helps to treat external wounds, but also prevents a range of bacterial strains from taking root internally within your organs and bodily systems, therefore helping to treat and prevent a host of diseases and sickness related to digestion, such as food poisoning and diarrhea.

For example, a 2006 study published in the Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that lime oil exhibited significant inhibitory effect against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.

Another study done in 2011 and published in the International Journal of Biological Chemistry found that lime essential oil exhibited potent antibacterial activity against spoilage bacteria, thus showing how lime oil can reduce the risk of diseases that can occur when you consume contaminated products.

How to Use it: To boost appetite levels, simply diffusing a few drops of the oil into your diffuser or vaporizer will be enough to stimulate your salivary glands. Alternatively, you can rub a few drops of diluted lime oil onto your lower abdominal area.

6. Provides Stress Relief

Lime essential oil can also be very therapeutic for your mind and soul because it can aid in alleviating stress, tension and anxiety from a long, exhausting day. It soothes your mind and promotes emotional health as it uplifts your spirits and puts you in a better, optimistic mood. It also seeks to provide much mental clarity and clears your messy mind. Hence, it promotes emotional and mental stability.

Therefore, inhaling lime oil is a much better and safer alternative to taking prescribed anxiety medication since it is all-natural, thus you do not have to worry about potential, unwanted and harmful side-effects.

How to Use it: Simply diffuse lime oil into your diffuser or vaporizer and let the unique, stimulating aroma soothe your tense nerves to provide stress relief. You can even cleanse your room at the same time, because of its antibacterial nature. Alternatively, you can add about 4-5 drops of the oil into a tub of warm, bathing water and soak inside for a few minutes as the stress of the day melts away.

7. Promotes Hair Health

Lime essential oil can also help to promote the health of your hair, making it more luscious and smooth. It can also help to treat scalp issues like dandruff. Overall, lime oil can greatly help improve the life of your hair as it makes them more radiant and glowing!

How to Use it: You can add about 2-3 drops of the oil onto your shampoo and massage it gently onto your hair and scalp area, then wash as per normal.

Safety Precautions:

Overall, this unique citrus oil provides a much-needed boost to your immune system, making your body much healthier and less prone to various infections and diseases. However, lime oil, like other citrus essential oils, is phototoxic, meaning that you should avoid going out into the sun for 24 hours after topical application of the oil onto your skin. This is because it might cause adverse reactions since it is especially reactive to light or UV rays, and can cause rashes or pigmentations when there is light exposure.

Be sure to always dilute the oil with a carrier oil first (such as coconut or jojoba oil) in a 1:1 ratio before topical application onto the skin and perform a skin patch test first to ensure no allergic or sensitive reactions result. Lime oil also blends well with other essential oils, such as lavender, neroli, ylang-ylang and clary sage essential oils.

If you are pregnant or nursing, do consult a doctor first for professional health advice before using lime essential oil as a form of treatment.

References:

Yang CH, et al., “Inhibition of melanogenesis by B-caryophyllene from lime mint essential oil in mouse B16 melanoma cells”, International Journal of Cosmetic Science (2015); 37(5)

Seenivasan Prabuseenivasan, et al., “In vitro antibacterial activity of some plant essential oils”, Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2006); 39(6)

Samineh Jafari, et al., “Antimicrobial Activity of Lime Essential Oil Against Food-borne Pathogens Isolated from Cream-filled Cakes and Pastries”, International Journal of Biological Chemistry (2011); 5(4)