These days we can buy supercritical carbon dioxide extract of tropical Hibiscus seeds grown in Ecuador, or certified organic combined fractions of Ylang Ylang essential oil — so Lemon essential oil is just not that interesting anymore! But the practitioner interested in therapeutic activity should never forget how amazing Lemon really is. It has a very diverse set of effects, which comes down to it being a great “pick me up” any way you look at it. Here’s a review of these effects, and how you can very easily make use of them every day.
We’ve probably all heard of others (or maybe we do it ourselves?) putting Lemon oil in their water — most folks do it for a bit of flavoring, but there’s real medicinal reasons to do this as well. Drinking the essential oil with water has a two-fold effect. The first is purifying the water, not just making it taste better. The second is purifying our bodies. So no matter what you heard that essential oils should never be ingested, this just isn’t true. One does need to be very careful, and be very clear as to what they’re doing, but certainly lemon is a food in the first place. Here’s a better idea of what the actual amount should be, just don’t overdo it!
Research has shown the essential oil can kill pathogenic bacteria in water at a concentration of 1/5th of one percent. That’s 1/500th of the total amount of fluid. This amounts to 1 milliliter per 500 milliliters of water, or 20 drops per half liter. Got it? Now that’s really only for purification of water that has detectable amounts of certain bacteria — not a concentration we need to use all the time. Something a little more reasonable is 5 drops in a good size glass. This will have the effect of purifying your water, and follows a protocol for actually cleansing your liver as well. This is a perfect thing to do first thing in the morning, or anytime your stomach is empty. And even if you’re not going through a cleanse at the moment, adding a few drops to your water now and then is an excellent idea to maintain your body’s toxin elimination systems.
Lemon has excellent antiseptic properties, which means it kills bacteria on our skin’s surface. For this reason, it can be used for acne-prone skin — because of its photo-toxicity however, this should not be done if the skin is to be exposed to direct sunlight in the following 48 hours. Yet you CAN still use the oil to remove warts — putting one drop on location 1 to 3 times per day can dissolve warts effectively. Want to use this antiseptic quality, but don’t want to use it on your skin? Do the same thing on your kitchen counter tops! For a super eco-friendly cleaner, mix 2 cups water with 2 cups white vinegar, then add 20 to 30 drops of your essential oil. You can use this to clean nearly everything, with a really appealing fresh scent when you’re done.
Diffusing cold pressed Lemon essential oil is one of the simplest pick-me-up aromatherapy practices on the planet. The oil, being considered the “highest note in aromatherapy” has an accompanying “high vibration” to go along with it. The aroma is a first choice to clear the mind during those mid-afternoon work doldrums. It’s thought to aid in decision making without being over-stimulating. For all these uses, use Lemon alone in either an ultrasonic, fan, or nebulizing diffuser (avoid a “warming” type), and if you want to get a little fancy, mix it with any of the other citrus oils: Bergamot and Sweet Orange will make for a really enjoyable blend.
Lemon essential oil is one of the few oils that has also been researched for actually improving our ability to think clearly. It has been tested to reverse the decline of our mental faculties. Further, it’s also been tested to help us do our work more precisely, with diffusion of the oil in a workplace environment making a significant reduction in the amount of errors made. Lemon essential oil does this by keeping certain key neurotransmitters in circulation longer than normal — neurotransmitters that are directly related with information processing. Time for studying? Inhale a little lemon! Getting on the computer to work on spreadsheets? Try a pick-me-up with the bright, tart scent.
So there you have it, some great reasons Lemon essential oil has real potential for benefit for our health. While its not nearly as exotic as Ethiopian Myrrh or Ecuadorian Hibiscus Seed, it has just as many fancy effects on our mind and body. For the long-time aromatherapy practitioner, Lemon is a great addition to oils you might already use, and for the beginner, its an absolutely wonderful place to start.
The author has made available reports on essential oils such as tea tree oil and other therapeutically valued essential oils.