Lemon Essential Oil has earned the nickname ”Liquid Sunshine” for its yellow color, refreshing scent, ability to purify, and for the burst of energy that it provides. The health benefits of lemon oil can be attributed to its stimulating, calming, astringent, detoxifying, antiseptic, disinfectant and anti-fungal properties. Lemon essential oil is one of the more versatile oils, and it can be used for a plethora of purposes! It is the oil that we purchase every month because we use it all the time! Sometimes people ask us: “What is the difference between using lemon essential oil and just squeezing the juice out of a lemon?” And it’s a good question.
Most of the essential oils are derived from a low-heat steam distillation process. However, with lemon and many other citrus oils, the common method of making the essential oil is by compressing—or squeezing out—the oils from the lemon’s peel.
Lemon peel is absolutely loaded with unique dense nutrients. One reliable research study stated that, “Citrus peels and their extracts have been reported to have potent pharmacological activities and health benefits due to the abundance of flavonoids in citrus fruits, particularly in the peels.” (1)
In fact, there have been numerous scientific studies done on the ingredient, limonene, found in abundance in the lemon peel. If lemon peel is so powerful and healing in its natural composition, then think of the benefits of using a more concentrated form: lemon essential oil! Just one 15mL bottle of lemon essential oil is equivalent to using the rinds of about 45 lemons!
Lemon essential oil is powerful! One word of caution, though. If you use lemon essential oil topically (directly on your skin), be sure to limit your sun exposure right afterwards. It may cause your skin to be more sensitive to direct sunlight.
Long time ago my mom told me that I can use a drop or two of lemon essential oil to polish silverware. First, I was skeptical. It sounded too easy. Then I decided to try. I actually just used regular paper towels and placed a few drops of the oil onto them and then rubbed the silverware with the paper towels. Wow! It worked. Simple, easy and quick! No toxic chemicals needed! A few drops of lemon oil did the trick!
Also, we enjoy using lemon essential oil in practical household chores. Whenever we do our laundry, we add about five drops of lemon essential oil with the liquid (non-toxic) laundry detergent. (You can also use it in conjunction with powder detergent or baking soda & natural detergent.)
When we wash dishes, we usually add 2-3 drops into the compartment that holds (non-toxic) dish washing soap. It helps to remove any remaining residues, and it adds a sparkle to your dishes!
Non-Toxic Household Cleaner
Most household cleaners are loaded with toxic chemicals that are bad for you and your family members. In fact, “There is no current law that requires cleaning product manufacturers to list ingredients on their labels or to test their products for safety. Beyond that, they are not even required to list their ingredients since they are considered trade secrets.”
Many household cleaners include chemicals, such as phthalates, perchloroethylene, triclosan, quarternary ammonium compounds, 2-butoxyethanol, ammonia, chlorine, and sodium hydroxide, which all have negative side effects to our health. (2)
One healthy and great alternative to typical household cleaners is to use lemon essential oil! Its natural cleansing properties are both safe and effective. Simply add lemon essential to a spray bottle for wonderful results you can use on tables, counters, and other multi surfaces.
We like to use this wonderful recipe formulated by Dr.Josh Axe that includes lemon essential oil for surface cleaners:
Total Time: 2 minutes
Serves: 30-90
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces water
- 4 ounces distilled white vinegar
- 15 drops melaleuca oil
- 15 drops lemon
- Glass cleaning spray bottle
Directions:
- Fill spray bottle with ingredients.
- Close bottle and shake to mix.
- Swirl/shake bottle before each spray.
In addition, you can even use lemon essential oil to polish wood by adding a few drops to olive oil! You can also soak a cloth in lemon essential oil and rub it along your leather furniture and other surfaces with leather to help preserve them!
Lemon essential oil is edible, but be careful to use it sparingly because it is potent, and a little bit goes a long way. I regularly add a drop or two to my water to gain all of its health benefits internally.