Citrus oils are among the favourites in any essential oil collection. They can transform your home with a burst of freshness using just a few drops and elevate your cleaning routine and DIY beauty creations. Citrus essential oils aren't just delightful to the senses—they also bring a myriad of benefits to your health and wellness journey. From boosting energy levels to combatting those winter colds and flu, discover the uplifting power of citrus oils and learn how to seamlessly integrate them into your daily life.
Stay tuned as we reveal some of our favourite reasons to incorporate citrus oils into your routine, complete with easy-to-follow DIY recipes that will elevate your essential oil experience.
Citrus Essential Oils: A Symphony of Scents
Citruses are happy, uplifting oils that have been called liquid sunshine in a bottle. They come from the rind (skin) of citrus fruits and are obtained when the skins are either cold pressed or steam distilled.
Favourite Citrus Essential Oils
All of these oils are refreshing and uplifting, perfect when stressed or feeling low. A sniff of any of the below oils will act as a perfect natural pick-me-up:
- Sweet Orange (Citrus sinensis)
- Lemon (Citrus limon)
- Lime (Citrus aurantifolia)
- Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi)
- Bergamot (Citrus bergamia)
- Petitgrain (Citrus aurantium)
- Mandarin (Citrus reticulata)
Warning: Citrus oils can be phototoxic. This means that they can cause your skin to become photosensitised. Photosensitization is when your skin becomes hypersensitive to UV rays, typically from the sun. When certain essential oils are used topically and undiluted on the skin, and then that skin is exposed to sun light (or tanning beds), skin damage can occur.
It is essential to dilute citrus oils at about 2% if using them on the skin. This means using only 2 drops per 10ml of carrier oil. Bergamot is the most photosensitising oil, but you can choose FCF Free Bergamot though, which is safe. FCF Free (furanocoumarin-free) is an acronym used to indicate that the chemical compounds responsible for extreme sensitization of the skin to sunlight has been removed.
10 Benefits of Citrus Essential Oils
Citrus essential oils offer a variety of benefits for health and wellness. They are rich in limonene. Limonene is a chemical constituent found in the peels of citrus fruits. Here are 12 benefits of using citrus oils:
- Mood Enhancement & Anxiety Reduction:
Citrus oils are a wonderful way to enhance mood and bring about emotional balance. They work on the brain's chemicals and hormones resulting in an improved mood. Bergamot and orange oils are known for their potential to alleviate anxiety
- Antioxidant Properties:
Rich in limonene, citrus oils provide antioxidant benefits that neutralize free radicals, supporting the immune system. Free radicals are responsible for damage to cells and tissues. Antioxidants also help to relieve stress on the immune system.
- Antibacterial Action:
You can leverage the natural antibacterial properties of citrus oils in homemade cleaning products for practical germ control. Citrus essential oils are powerful natural antibiotics and smell great too!
- Immune System Support:
Diffuse citrus oils during seasonal changes for immune system support or a quicker recovery from common illnesses. You can also add them to your immune boosting roller blends to use daily when the risk of cold and flu are high.
- Air Freshening:
Create your own room sprays with citrus oils or purify indoor spaces. Here is an invigorating Citrus Mint Room Spray Recipe:
- Cleaning Agent for sticky residue:
Did you know that lemon essential oil can be used to remove almost any sticky residue from surfaces, so next time a sticker leaves a nasty residue behind, pour a few drops of lemon oil onto it and rub it off with a cloth. You can also add lemon and grapefruit oils to surface cleaners to remove sticky and fatty residue in the kitchen.
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Energy Boost:
Citrus oils help to boost physical and mental energy levels. Use citrus oils in a diffuser or on diffuser jewellery, with grapefruit and lime oils being a popular choice for a natural energy boost.
- Toxin Elimination:
Some citrus oils may contribute to toxin elimination, making them suitable for incorporation into massage oils (just be sure to be aware of which essential oils are phototoxic and avoid before going in the sun.).
- Skin Care:
Applying citrus oils to skin issues like warts, bunions, corns or calluses may eliminate these bothersome problems. Be sure to dilute with a carrier oil before applying to the skin topically.
- Respiratory Support:
Lime essential oil, with its potential to ease respiratory issues, can be diffused for a natural solution to coughs and congested sinuses. Try out this Citrus Spice blend in you diffuser to open the airways:
2 drops Clove
2 drops Lemon
2 drops Grapefruit
2 drops Eucalyptus
Not only do citrus oils have all of the above amazing benefits, they are versatile too. You can substitute citrus oils for each other as needed in DIY recipes and still come away with a great blend.