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Lemon (Citrus limonum)
Aroma
Lemon essential oil has a light medium scent, with a clean lemony quality.
The plant
The lemon tree is a small thorny tree with highly perfumed little flowers. It is native to India although now grown through Southern Europe and Florida and California.
The extraction
The greener, unripe lemons are ideally used to harvest oil from as they contain higher quantities of essential oil. The oil is extracted by mechanical expression to yield the greatest quality of oil.
Affects
Lemon essential oil is refreshing and cooling, renowned for being reviving, soothing, stimulating and purifying.
When used in skincare lemon essential oil brightens the complexion and cleanses the skin. This same cleansing action is useful for shampoos and reducing greasy hair.
History
The Ancient Egyptians used lemon oil to cure meat and fish poisoning and it has also been long used as an antiseptic against the bites from disease-carrying insects.
Lemons were originally introduced into Europe by the Holy Crusaders during the Middle Ages, and the fruit has been famously used to prevent scurvy in sea-men. Since then, lemon essential oil has become a popular oil for use in aromatherapy.
Chemical constituents
Linalool (Alcohol), Citral, Citronellal (Aldehydes), Cadinene (Sesquiterpene), Bisabolene, Camphene, Dipentene, Limonene, Pinene, Phellandrene (Terpenes).
Blending
Lemon oil blends well with all citrus oils, as well as lavender, neroli, ylang ylang, rose, sandalwood, chamomile, benzoin, geranium and eucalyptus.
Suggested directions for use:
Add 6-10 drops in a bath.
Mix 5 drops with water to use in an oil burner.
Mix 6-10 drops with hot water as an inhalation.
Mix 5 drops per 10ml of carrier oil for massage.
Precautions:
Do not take internally.
Avoid use before sun exposure.
Keep away from children and eyes.
Non-toxic but may irritate sensitive skin.
If pregnant or have a medical condition consult your practitioner before use.
If oil gets into eyes splash out with water, seek medical advice if necessary.
If unfamiliar with essential oils seek advice from a practitioner.
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