CITRUS LIMONUM
Crisp, refreshing, and delightfully tangy, lemon essential oil is like sunshine in a bottle. As with other citrus oils, it can give your mood a much-needed boost when you’re feeling dreary, and if your energy level is lagging, a whiff of lemon can help you feel more alert. This versatile oil really shines in household cleaners; so much so that many commercial products contain it.
Precautions
Lemon essential oil is phototoxic and can increase the likelihood of sunburn. Do not expose treated areas to direct sunlight for 12 hours after use.
Application Methods
INHALATION: Blend 15 to 20 drops of lemon essential oil with 1 cup of water for a quick room spray that eliminates stale odors and creates a cheerful atmosphere. If adding it to a diffuser, use the number of drops recommended by the diffuser’s manufacturer.
TOPICAL: Try adding 1 or 2 drops of lemon essential oil to a eucalyptus, tea tree, or rosemary blend and dilute with your favorite carrier oil for a comforting anticongestion blend to use during cold or allergy season. Remember to keep treated areas out of direct sunlight.
BATH: Bath and body products treat you to lemon’s luscious fragrance, while treating your mood to an instant boost. Lemon is nice on its own, with other citrus oils, and with a wide variety of other spicy-or herbal-scented oils.
Popular Uses
Lemon is a top ingredient in DIY cleaning solutions for everything from the kitchen to the bathroom. It’s an excellent antibacterial and antiseptic agent, plus its fragrance is versatile enough to blend with a wide variety of other essential oils. If you’re ready to experiment with your own household cleaning blends, you’ll probably enjoy adding lemon.
Lemon is a scent that just about everyone likes, and its ability to create a cheerful atmosphere is well known. Diffusing lemon alone or with other citrus essential oils is a great way to make your entire house smell clean, while treating yourself to some wonderful psychological benefits.
Lemon’s antiseptic and bactericidal actions make it an ally during cold and flu season. Try adding 3 drops to an essential oil inhaler next time you have a cough or cold symptoms. If your doctor approves, use it to soothe your symptoms while prescription antibiotics work behind the scenes.
BLENDS WELL WITH
Allspice
Benzoin
Caraway seed
Cardamom
Clove
Eucalyptus
Fennel seed
Frankincense
Geranium
Ginger
Grapefruit
Lavender
Lemongrass
Orange
Patchouli
Peppermint
Rosemary
Tangerine
Tea tree
Thyme
SUBSTITUTE WITH
Grapefruit
Mandarin
Orange
Red mandarin
Yuzu
HEALING PROPERTIES
Antifungal
Antiseptic
Bactericidal
Carminative
Cicatrizant
Depurative
Diaphoretic
Diuretic
Febrifuge
Hemostatic
Hypotensive
Insecticidal
Rubefacient
Tonic
Vermifuge
IDEAL FOR TREATING
Allergies
Asthma
Athlete’s foot
Bronchitis
Congestion
Emotional upset
Jock itch
Nail fungus
Respiratory infections
Ringworm
Stress