Benefits and Properties
of Lemon Essential Oil

Botanical Name
Citrus limonum

Family
Rutaceae Rue family

Place of Origin
Lemon essential oil was originally from Asia. It is naturalized in the Mediterranean, especially Spain and Portugal. It is now cultivated work-wide, in Italy, Sicily, Cyprus, Israel, North and South America.

Plant Description
A tree that grows up to around 16 feet and produces blossoms and fruit year round. The evergreen leaves are deep green, smooth, egg-shaped with a slightly scalloped edge. The white blossoms are singly or in pairs. One tree can produce up to 1500 fruits. It requires strong light and does not tolerate shade.

Essential Oil
The essential oil is cold pressed from the skin (usually by hand expression – but modern methods use stainless steel drums that pierce the peel). It takes between 675 to 1,400 lemons depending on the time of harvest to yield 1 pound of oil. Most oil is produced from the green fruit. The oil is pale yellow to a light yellow-green and smells distinctly lemony and citrusy. It is a top note.

Contains
It contains limonene, terpinene, pinene, sabinene, citrol, linalol, geranyl, geraniol, camphene, neral, phellandrene, aldehyde, methylhepton, vitamin C and others.

Blends well with
Geranium, lavender, pine, tea tree, cedar, fennel, camphor, citronella, neroli, eucalypyus, and also herb and spice oils.

Safety
This oil in non-toxic but may be “hot” or irritating to some individuals especially those with sensitive skin, so be sure and dilute correctly. Like all citrus oils it is phototoxic so do not apply to the skin exposed to direct sunlight.

Approximate drops per use
Use about 2-4 drops in 1 ounce of carrier

Beneficial Effects – Physical
Bactericide, antiseptic, antitoxic, antibiotic, antimicrobial, hemostatic, immune stimulating, vermifuge, disinfectant, insect repellant, febrifuge, diuretic, acid neutralizing, astringent, antiacid, antiviral,

Specific Conditions – Physical
Infections, sore throat, fever, colds, flu, coughs, bronchitis, heartburn, nose bleeds, bleeding wounds, gout, insect bites, acne, oily skin, enlarged pores, indigestion, cellulite, warts, corns, high blood pressure, poor circulation, varicose veins, arthritis, herpes, swelling, weak nails, freckles, dandruff,

Beneficial Effects – Mental
Balancing, relaxing, refreshing, stimulating, antidepressant, uplifting

Specific Conditions – Mental
Headache, insomnia, anxiety, tiredness, depression

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Lemon essential oil is antimicrobial and very effective against bacteria. It helps kill streptococcus, staphylococcus, menningococcus, pneumococcus, and typhus.

This is a good essential oil to use in a homemade cleaning disinfectant for cleaning around your home. (You can also add lavender, eucalyptus and tea tree.) Use it to in the water for cleaning your floor, or to disinfect any place in your home. It also gives your home a nice lemony smell, and is one of the oils that is not quite as expensive so you don’t mind using it for cleaning.

It is a good oil to use when you have had family members who have been sick. If you are a school teacher it is a good non-toxic disinfectant to use around the classroom.

This oil will neutralize bad smells while killing germs to prevent infection and at the same time helps to boost your immune system. (Which is a great help during the cold and flu season.) Another benefit in using for cleaning your home is that lemon helps keep ants and other insects away.

Of course other than disinfecting you home you can use this essential oil in a number of ways. It is a good oil to diffuse if you need to do a lot of reading and studying as it help to keep your mind clear and focused so you can concentrate.

There are a number of ways you can use lemon essential oil when you are sick, (use at first symptoms) it enhances you immunity by helping you body’s production of white blood cells to help defend against infection :

1. In a cleaner as a disinfectant to kill the germs on surfaces.

2. In a diffuser to clean the air and help boost the immune system.

3. Put 2 or 3 drops on a tissue and inhale leaning forward for a nosebleed. If it is severe mix with some carrier oil and massage onto the nose and throat.

4. Put a couple drops in half a glass of water and use to gargle when coming down with a cold, or for gingivitis. If you have a tooth extraction that doesn’t want to stop bleeding hold it in your mouth with out swishing to help the blood to clot. (You can also use lemon juice.) Lemon oil can also be added to a propolis tincture.

5. Put a couple drops in 1 quart of warm water and sponge onto a child with chickenpox or measles can also use for eczema. For fever put in cool water.

6. For mouth ulcers and cold sores dilute with a carrier and apply to the sores. (use by itself or add some geranium and lavender; tea tree also works well for cold sores and if you are not really sensitive can be used neat)
7. Add 2-3 drops lemon, 2 drops tea tree, and 2 drops eucalyptus to a non-toxic bath gel and place in a hot bath when coming down with a cold. (be sure to drink plenty of water and also try some hot water with lemon juice and honey, and pinch of cayenne in it if you would like, but is optional – this also good to drink if you have a fever )

8. If you suffer from gout or rheumatism your body is usually overburdened with uric acid, you can use it topically and internally. Lemon will help you balance your body by helping to neutralize acid, also drink plenty of water with a little lemon juice in it. (also check your diet)

9. Because it produces an alkaline reaction inside the body it works well for heartburn put a drop on your hand and lick off, or put a drop on your tongue. Peppermint also works great for heartburn.

10. It may sting a little (especially if used neat) but will help stop bleeding of fresh wounds, use it with water to clean the wound and you can add some to your salve and apply before apply a band-aid.

11. You can use it neat on insect bites to take away the sting and keep swelling down. (Lavender and tea tree can also be used)

For art and corns you can use it neat (but be sure you are not sensitive to it) or mix it with a little cider vinegar and apply daily (avoid the surrounding skin and cover the area when out in the sunlight) You can also alternate with tea tree (can be used neat) or oregano (be sure to dilute it).

Lemon essential oil is altered in a lot of different ways for different commercial industries. So be sure and get a pure intact unadulterated essential oil that is organic and free from pesticides for use in aromatherapy for therapeutic uses. Its effectiveness is affected if the balance of all the natural different components are not intact.

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