Each citrus oil has some specific benefits and uses, but many of those uses are the same across all the citrus oils.
If you have been wondering how you can benefit from using citrus essential oil in your home, keep reading for some surprising ways to use them that will make you want to add these oils to your collection.
All citrus essential oils are extracted by the cold-pressed method of the outer peel of the fruit (the part that we normally throw away!) Before you throw away the peel of your citrus fruit, try to squeeze it in half, making sure that the colorful side of the peel is on the outside. You should be able to see a tiny quantity of an aromatic fluid being squirted out from the peel. That fluid is the essential oil!
Citrus Essential Oil Varieties
- Lime
- Wild Orange
- Bergamot
- Red, Yellow and Green Mandarin
- Clementine
- Lemon
- Tangerine
- Grapefruit
- Kumquat
Most citrus oils are rich in the cleansing chemical, Limonene. Limonene has some amazing health benefits. According to experimental and clinical research, limonene may help support the function of a long list of bodily systems when taken internally. These include healthy cellular function, the immune system, the lung and respiratory systems, the gastrointestinal system, a healthy metabolism, and a healthy colon and liver. These citrus oils can have an impact over a large portion of your body.*
Use 1: Whole Body Support
When ingested, experimental research has suggested that limonene may support healthy cellular function, proper respiratory function, immune function and response.
Research carried out by Dr. Jidong Sun, published in the Alternative Medicine Review suggests that limonene can assist with dissolving gallstones filled with cholesterol.
It may also support healthy metabolism when consumed. Another study found that orally ingested limonene may help to support healthy blood sugar and cholesterol levels already in the normal range.
When combined with healthy lifestyle habits, including proper nutrition and regular exercise, limonene-rich citrus essential oils may have the ability to support weight management efforts through assisting proper metabolic and blood sugar regulation.
To take advantage of these internal benefits, add 1–3 drops of a pure, certified, and tested essential oil to a glass of water on a daily basis.
Use 2: Tone the Skin
This main component of citrus essential oils can also have a toning effect that is useful for the skin. It can help improve circulation, decrease unwanted fluids in your body and help to achieve a balanced moisture level for the skin. These properties undoubtedly help maintain clear and smooth skin.
Limonene also has various antifungal properties. These antifungal properties can promote the your skin’s natural balance.
For a skin restoration massage blend, mix
- 4 drops of citrus oil
- 2 drops of Helichrysum oil
- 2 drops of Lavender oil and
- 2 drops of Roman Chamomile oil in
- 15 ml of jojoba carrier oil or other carrier oils available and gently massage onto your skin
Use 3: Cleanse Your Home
Limonene plays a huge role in the detoxifying and purifying benefits of the oils. This is why these oils are excellent in homemade cleaning products, because they both cleanse and also help minimize exposure to potentially harmful toxins found in store-bought products.
Grapefruit and Tangerine oils are almost entirely made up of limonene—99 percent to be exact. Lemon also possesses a large amount of other terpene compounds in addition to limonene.
To make your own all-purpose cleaner: add a few drops of citrus essential oil to a glass spray bottle filled with water and some white vinegar. Or add a few drops of any of those oils to your next load of laundry or use directly as a stain remover on clothing, carpets, or furniture.
Use 4: Support Your Digestion
Citrus oils are known to naturally cleanse the body and aid in digestion. Taken internally, they can provide benefits to those looking to support good digestive health. If you are taking an essential oil internally, you MUST make sure it is a Certified and Tested Essential oil.
Our entire gastrointestinal tract is lined with a mucous membrane that form a barrier between the external world and the inside of the body. Using Grapefruit specifically may help support these mucosal surfaces, as well as help with normal peristalsis, the process that carries food through your digestive system. The process is important in minimizing toxic load in your body.
Limonene can also be used to relieve the symptoms associated with excess stomach acid. It can neutralize gastric acid which is the main cause of pain in several types of digestive issues.
To help ease occasional digestive issues, add 1–3 drops of certified, pure, and tested citrus oil to juice, tea, or water on a daily basis.
Use 5: Improve Emotional Stability
The most notable similarity between the citrus essential oils is their ability to affect the emotions. Just inhaling the smell of a citrus oil can benefit your emotional health including elevating your mood and promoting positive emotions. Citrus oils can also help you feel more invigorated and less anxious. Not only does diffusing citrus lift your emotions, but the sweet, tangy aroma of purifies the mind and relieves anxious feelings, tension as well as stress.
Most of these oils, including Grapefruit, Lemon, Lime, Clementine, Tangerine, and Wild Orange can help uplift your mood or your energy levels. On the other hand, Bergamot is calming and soothing to the emotions.
The best way to use your favorite citrus oils for mood or emotional balance is to use them topically on the back of your neck or the bottom of your feet, or aromatically in a diffuser.
Use 6: Promote Calm and Rest
That means it can promote ease, tranquility and clarity as a restorative agent to the brain. Because of their calming properties, citrus essential oils will definitely help you in getting a good night’s rest that will leave you feeling rejuvenated as well as energized the next day.
In fact, because of its calming and soothing effects, it has been used in European hospitals to improve patients’ overall wellbeing! Since it has uplifting and relaxation properties, it can ultimately support the body as it induces stabilization after a shocking or a traumatic incident.
Place a few drops of citrus oil in your diffuser in the evening to purify the air while calming your mood.
Use 7: Clean and Brighten Teeth
The cleansing benefits of limonene are not limited to your bathroom and kitchen; limonene has shown to be useful in dental applications as well. Human clinical research suggests that toothpaste containing limonene may help to brighten teeth and remove stains. Another study suggested that limonene applied topically to the teeth and gums may help to promote clean, healthy-looking teeth.
Try adding a drop of citrus essential oil to your toothpaste for an added burst of teeth-cleaning power; including removing stains from teeth and promoting clean and healthy gums.
I hope you have seen some of the benefits of using citrus essential oils for yourself. Citrus essential oils are so useful, which makes them a must-have for everyone!
Where to Buy Citrus Essential Oils
To buy a pure bottle of your favorite citrus oil, visit my store.
For maximum effect, essential oils must be both potent and pure. Often times, oils that are available for purchase contain filler substances and other elements that dilute and alter the purity and lessen their benefits and effects. In order to maintain a high standard of pure essential oils, dōTERRA puts every batch of essential oils through the CPTG Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade® protocol.
www.sourcetoyou.com
Safety Precautions:
- Many citrus essential oils are phototoxic, meaning that you should not be exposed to direct sunlight after using the oil.
- Do not apply citrus essential oil in its undiluted form directly onto the skin. It needs to be blended with carrier oils to prevent damage onto the skin. Avoid application before exposure to the sun’s rays. Do not apply the essential oil if you need to be outdoors within 24 hours after application.
- Before using essential oils as a form of treatment, ensure that you consult with your doctor first beforehand, as it might induce other side-effects. (This is especially so for pregnant women).
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
