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
- Improves oral health including eliminating bad breath
- Aids digestion
- Thirst quencher
- Relieves abdominal colic pain
- Relieves coughs
- Calms stomach and relieves nausea
- Facial cleanser
- Teeth whitener
- 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.
Energy Boost: Add a drop or two of lemon oil to your water and enjoy the refreshed, detoxing flavor (this is one of the rare times I recommend ingesting essential oils). It’s also said to boost your metabolism, increasing weight loss.
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 counter tops, 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, 5 drops 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. Be careful when using on skin. Do not go out into the sun immediately after applying to the skin. Use extra carrier oil when using on sensitive skin.
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.
Keep reading if you’d like my recipe for Citrus Hand Sanitizer.