Lemons are among the most popular fruits used to add flavor to your favorite dishes. But, did you know that there is more to lemon than what meets the taste? Imagine walking into your kitchen, then the ghosts of the meals you have cooked from days before haunt you with their smell. What do you do? You diffuse lemon oil. Imagine a playful child putting up stickers on the windows of your car, you try to remove them, but residues are still there.
What do you do? You defy them with lemon. Imagine being stuck in traffic, then awful smell from everywhere tries to penetrate your car, what do you do? You open that bottle of lemon freshener to combat the smell. Lemons are among the most versatile fruits out there; now imagine them as essential oils. It’s like having your perfect, go-to playlist played all day long – light, bright, and energizing!
What is a Lemon Essential Oil?
A Lemon Essential oil is an entirely natural ingredient extracted from the peel of fresh lemons in a technique called cold-pressing. In this method, the lemon peel is pricked and rotated as its oil is released. Like most essential oils, Lemon essential oils can also be diffused and inhaled or applied topically to your skin.
Lemon Essential Oils can also be an effective home health remedy. Some people believe that lemon essential oils reduce exhaustion, reduce inflammation, improve symptoms of depression, clear the skin, and kill viruses and bacteria.
In recent years, a surge of medical literature has started to verify the integrity of the claims made by users of lemon essential oils regarding its benefits.
Benefits of Lemon Essential Oils
In their natural form, lemons can cleanse toxins from the body and are widely used to stimulate lymphatic drainage, rejuvenate and purify skin, and fight bacteria and fungi. In the state of essential oil, the lemon essential oil has also garnered several studies, therefore establishing scientifically-backed health and non-health-related benefits. Among the long list of gains are the following:
May Reduce Anxiety and Depression Symptoms
You may have noticed that when you use lemon-scented products for cleaning your home, you feel calmer and in a better headspace afterward. Some may argue that this can be attributable to the result of tidying up your environment. Still, more people believe that lemons’ scent plays a considerable role in that calming, even healing feeling.
Can Ease Morning Sickness Symptoms in Pregnant Women
Among the most common symptoms that significantly alter a pregnant woman’s day are nausea and vomiting. Based on a 2014 study, there may be reasons to believe that lemon essential oils can relieve or decrease these symptoms’ severity. This study found that among trusted sources of 100 pregnant women, aromatherapy with lemon essential oil significantly reduced nausea and vomiting levels.
Can Make the Skin Healthier
Lemon oil is one of many essential oils that can kill harmful bacteria on the skin.
In a 2019 study, researchers found that lemon essential oil was effective against some common strains of bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli. This finding makes lemon essential oil a good choice for topically cleaning minor wounds.
More research dating from 2017 and 2018 has further established the benefit of lemon essential oil against infection-causing bacteria and its ability to prevent skin inflammation.
It also has protective properties, such as antioxidants, Vitamin C, and antimicrobial properties that not only promote wound-healing but also facilitates the brightening and preservation of your skin tone.
Can Act as a Pain Reliever
The lemon essential oil is also an aromatherapy necessity, as a natural analgesic or pain reliever. There is reason to believe that this oil’s anti-stress and antidepressant effects may have something to do with how our bodies interpret our pain without undue panicking. For this reason, travelers can carry this essential oil around while on a trip.
How to use Lemon Essential Oil
Like most essential oils, using lemon essential oils may be divided into two major types: diffusion or topical administration. Although lemon essential oil has many benefits, it is advisable to conduct a patch test to ensure safety.
Conducting a Patch Test
To conduct a patch test:
- Add a small amount of mixture to the inside of your wrist or just below your ear before applying it somewhere sensitive.
- Examine the area after 24 hours.
- If irritation occurs, rinse thoroughly, and discontinue use; seek medical attention if necessary.
Diffusing Lemon Essential Oil
To diffuse lemon essential oil:
- Make sure that you are in a well-ventilated area.
- Place three or four drops in the diffuser of your choice.
- Limit your aromatherapy session to thirty minutes.
Using Lemon Essential Oil Topically
To use as a topical oil:
- Mix lemon essential oil with a carrier oil very well
- Make sure to wash off lemon oil before exposing your skin to sunlight.
The Takeaway
Lemon essential oils are proven beneficial by claims that get backed by science. Specifically, lemon essential oil possesses anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial characteristics that can help boost your mood, reduce stress, among other things.
However, put in mind that just because a product says it’s “natural” doesn’t mean that it doesn’t carry possible side effects. Always use caution when using any type of natural remedy. Moreover, never apply lemon oil directly to your skin without a carrier oil, and never ingest any essential oil.
Although essential oils are not proper alternatives for your doctor’s prescriptions, they can work as a great addition to your regular health and wellness routine.
