Who doesn’t love the clean refreshing scent of lemons? For many years, I have made lemon-infused vinegar to use as a cleaner, lemon-infused olive oil to make salad dressings, and I had lemon to almost all of my green juices and most of the water I drink. It brightens up everything!
Lemon essential oil is no different. Containing both health-giving properties as well as making cleaning nearly everything in your home more healthful, lemon essential oil is a must-have for every essential oil user and definitely deserves a place at the top of my list of best essential oils for everyday use.
According to a study published in the International Journal of Food Microbiology, lemon essential oil may be the most powerful anti-microbial agent of all the essential oils. Those of us who have been using lemons to clean our homes for years already figured that out, right?
Here is a short list of the amazing qualities of lemon essential oil:
- Air purifier
- Relieves abdominal colic pain
- Relieves coughs
- Calms stomach and relieves nausea
- Facial cleanser
- Laundry freshener
- Household cleaner
- De-gummer
If you are working hard like I am to eliminate toxins from your home, lemon essential oil needs to be at the top of your list of oils to have on hand.
Here are some of the best everyday uses for lemon essential oil:
De-gummer: From gum stuck in hair, to that sticky leftover gum from labels, lemon oil will take care of it.
Dishes: Add lemon oil to your dishwashing soap. It will make your dishes sparkle.
Leather: Add lemon oil to a cloth and rub on your jackets and furniture to preserve the leather.
Cold Sores: Treat cold sores with a drop or two of lemon mixed with a carrier oil.
Allergies: Diffuse lemon with lavender and peppermint for relief from allergy symptoms.
Laundry: Forgot the laundry in the washer? Add a few drops of lemon oil and it will take away that mildew-y smell.
General Cleaner: Add 40 drops of lemon oil, 20 drops of tea tree oil, and 2 oz of white vinegar to a 16 oz bottle. Fill the rest with distilled water. Use to clean your countertops, windows, mirrors, shower, and pretty much any other surface in your home.
Face Mask: Make a paste with 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp raw honey, 1 drop lemon essential oil, and 1/2 tsp water. Apply to your clean face and leave on for about 10 minutes before washing off with warm water. You will love how your skin feels when you are finished and it works to treat acne, too. Warnings
Lemon Essential Oil is phototoxic (when used in a blend at more than 12 drops per 1 ounce/30 ml).
Essential oils are highly concentrated, strong, and powerful liquids that can be harmful if not used carefully and properly. This is an especially potent blend of essential oils which could cause irritation when applied to the skin, even in diluted amounts. Use caution when using them. Please keep essential oils out of reach of children. Please do not use this essential oil on children under the age of 6 months.
One of the many ways we use lemon essential oil in our everyday is in homemade hand sanitizer.
Homemade Hand Sanitizer
I am not a fan of commercially-prepared hand sanitizers that generally include ingredients like alcohol (very drying) and triclosan (this stuff needs to be banned). Commercially-prepared hand sanitizers are known to kill so much bacteria that resistant strains of many bacteria are making people even sicker. Plus, there are actually good bacteria out there we don’t want to kill.
But don’t we all want to be able to quickly cleanse our hands (or the hands of our kids) in a pinch when soap and water is not available? Making homemade hand sanitizer is simple, and while it is not as powerful a killing agent as the yucky stuff, it is good enough for a quick cleanse in most situation you’ll want to use it (and of course, washing your hands with soap and warm water is always the best choice when possible). Because homemade hand sanitizer is so easy to make, there really is no reason to keep using the yucky kind you probably have in your purse right now.
- 10 drops lemon essential oil
- 10 drops orange essential oil
- 10 drops tea tree essential oil
- 2oz pure aloe vera gel
- 2oz PET bottle with pop-up cap
Add essential oils to bottle. Add aloe vera gel and mix well. When you first apply this hand sanitizer it will feel slightly sticky, but it soaks in quickly and does not leave a sticky residue. It smells yummy and softens your hands, too. It is safe for children over the age of 2. The dilution of lemon in this recipe is considered safe in the sun and should not cause photosensitivity.
Learn how to use essential oils safely with children before using this or any other recipe with your child.
A few other ways we use lemon oil in our everyday:
10 Simple Essential Oil Blends for Your Diffuser
Essential Oils eCourse
Are you new to the idea of using essential oils for the health and wellness of your family? You are invited to join my 10-day eCourse — Your Simple Guide to Using Essential Oils. This FREE course will be delivered straight to your inbox, one lesson at a time, to help you get started using essential oils safely!
Precautions
Never use essential oils undiluted, in the eyes or mucus membranes. Do not ingest unless working with a qualified practitioner. Keep essential oils away from children. If applying an essential oil to your skin always perform a small patch test to an insensitive part of the body (after you have properly diluted the oil in an appropriate carrier oil).
For educational purposes only. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
