What Is Lemon Oil?

People often ask, "what is lemon oil?" I really didn't know that much about lemon essential oil until I started doing some research online. There are many uses for it, from health concerns, food dishes, insecticide treatments, and perfume, as well as cleaning and disinfecting.

To understand what is lemon oil, it is helpful to know where it comes from as well as the ingredients. Lemon oil comes from the rind of a yellow fruit from a small evergreen tree. While the lemon tree was native to Asia, Christopher Columbus brought the seeds to the U.S. in 1492. The lemon tree is believed to have been grown first in India and China.

Facts About Lemon Oil
Lemon oil contains two main ingredients, limonene, which creates the aroma, and citral or citric acid. The 5% citric acid in lemon juice gives the sour taste. The pH of lemon juice is around 2 to 3. Cold pressing is used to extract the lemon oil, and it takes about 1500 lemons to produce about one pound of oil. There are three tablespoons of juice in each lemon.

What Is Lemon Oil Used For?
There are many uses for lemons including a disinfectant, liver stimulant, calming effect, antiseptic, and an antibacterial. It also helps in situations of anxiety, stress, and brain alertness. Other uses include perfumes, short term preservatives, cleaning and cooking.

Studies have shown that test scores increase by up to 50% when lemon oil is diffused. A study in Japan diffused lemon oil into an office and found that there were over 50% fewer errors by the employees. In 1747, James Lind experimented with lemons to cure scurvy in seamen.

Other Facts About Lemon Oil
Lemon oil combines well with other essential oils. Lemon zest is ground lemon peel that is used in food dishes as flavoring. If you need to brighten copper cookware or remove stains from plastic containers, try cutting a lemon in half and dipping it in baking soda, as you scrub the area to be cleaned. Disinfect a room with a diffuser, or just add a few drops of lemon to a spray bottle of distilled water.

Cautions
Always test a small amount of any oil first to make sure it is safe. Lemon is photo-toxic, so if you apply it to your skin, be careful about going out in the sun. Lemons left unrefrigerated for long periods of time can mold.

Where To Buy Lemon Oil?
Now that you know what is lemon oil, you most likely will be wondering where you can buy this oil. One of my favorite suppliers is Ananda Apothecary. They have high quality essential oils at very good prices and their customer service is top notch!

Even though I use lemon oil regularly, I did not fully understand what is lemon oil until I did some online research. It is a powerful essential oil that should be in every home. While you're at it, pick up a couple of lemons the next time you go to the grocery store!


Further Reading:
1) Cleaning Kitchen Cutting Boards (Blog Post May 8, 2010)
2) Home Remedies With Essential Oils (Blog Post July 16, 2009)



Sources Of Information:
1) Ananda Apothecary - Lemon Essential Oil
2) Health Benefits Of Lemon Oil - Organicfacts.Net
3) Lemon - Wikipedia





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Disclaimer:
This blog post is not intended to be medical advice. It is for informational purposes only. Consult your medical professional provider before making any decisions about your health or body regarding the information contained in this blog post.

Where To Buy Tea Tree Oil

Please refer back to the introductory post about Tea Tree Oil using the following link (LINK) or see the list of topics below for all posts in this series. Previously in this series, we discussed the topic, "How To Make Tea Tree Oil Spray".


Where Can I Buy Tea Tree Oil?

There are many places to purchase Tea Tree oil from your local health food store to places online. I buy my essential oils from Ananda Apothecary. (Please note that I do not receive any income from Ananda Apothecary for these statements).

Ananda Apothecary has high quality oils, great customer service and fast shipping! Plus the prices are very competitive. They really back up their products and if you ever have a concern with them, they are there to help and listen.

While I know Young Living sells good essential oils as well, I have had bad experiences with them. At one time, I would not have purchased my essential oils from anyone but Young Living. I was signed up as a distributor for them until they inadvertently deleted my distributor account from their system. Instead of correcting their error, they demanded that I needed to sign up and buy the distributorship all over again. Of course, this was at my expense. Regardless of trying to point out their error, they would only say that they made a mistake and I had to resign back up as a distributor.

In my search for a new supplier, I found out that Young Living does not distill as many of their oils as one tends to think they do. Like everyone else, most of what they sell is distilled by other manufacturers. As I have found from first hand experience, the quality of the essential oils at Ananda Apothecary are just as good as Young Living, if not better. The prices are considerably better because there isn't the markup like there is with Young Living. There is no MLM marketing concept either like Young Living has.

Regardless of where you buy your oils, do your research and make sure they are high quality oils. Store them in a cool dark place away from sunlight. You don't have to pay and arm and a leg for your oils because in a case like Young Living, you're most likely buying the same oils that other distributors are selling. They may lead you to believe otherwise, but again, do your research!


List Of Topics
7/14/11 - Introduction to Tea Tree Oil Series
7/15/11 - Uses Of Tea Tree Oil
7/16/11 - Tea Tree Oil Cautions and Toxicity
7/17/11 - How To Make Tea Tree Oil Spray
7/18/11 - Where To Buy Tea Tree Oil



Sources Of Information:
1) Gardenmandy.com - Tea Tree Oil For Bug Repellent & Everything Else
2) Mayo Clinic - Tea Tree Oil
3) Mayo Clinic - Sources and References
4) Natural Remedies-Review.com - Tea Tree Oil Spray
5) Ananda Apothecary - Essential Oil Supplier
6) Clean House, Clean Planet (Book by Karen Logan)


Disclaimer: Since I am not a licensed medical physician, please consult any necessary medical personnel before applying any of the information you read on this blog. The information presented here is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. Please consult your medical health care provider before making any health care or medical decisions.




-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blog Post & Images (c) 7/8/11 Don Shetterly - use by permission only
http://www.donshetterly.com

If any part of this post is used or shared, a link back to this site is required.
http://mindbodythoughts.blogspot.com/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sage Improves Cognitive Function and Mood

According to the blog of Ananda Apothecary, a cited Journal of Psychopharmacology, Oct. 11, 2010 article, sage essential oil improved cognitive function and mood.

According to the study, "oral consumption [of sage essential oil] leads to improved performance of secondary memory and attention tasks, reduced mental fatigue and increased alertness." This is done through AChE inhibition or in other words, sage essential oil helps to prevent the breakdown of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.

According to the research cited on Ananda's blog, the ingestion of 1 drop of sage essential oil will not be harmful and in fact it states that it is well tolerated by the body.

Previous research has indicated AChE inhibition from other essential oils such as rosemary, eucalyptus and lemon. These stimulant oils have been shown to improve test scores and decrease error frequency.

Source Of Information:
Ananda Apothecary Blog post 10/20/10

Essential Oils & Congestion

In case you're struggling with a stuffed up nose and congestion during this time of year, one of the things that I use is essential oils. I put it in a aromatherapy diffuser like the one in the picture (there are many different types of this). I light the little tea candle in the bottom of the diffuser and put some very clean water (distilled water is best) than I add the follow drops of essential oils.

4 drops of Lavendar
3 drops of Peppermint
7 drops of Eucalyptus
4 drops of Pine

This works wonders for me when I need to use it. Sometimes my allergies can kick up and this is usually all I need. It keeps me from taking Claritin like I used to do.

One thing to note is don't use cheap essential oils. Spend the money and get good quality ones. There is a difference between them in how they are harvested, processed and packaged. I know you can buy various oils in the health stores and local markets but most of the time you get what you pay for. When you consider how little you use in most things, a small bottle can last for some time. Always store your essential oils in a cool, dry place not in direct sunlight and they will last longer.

I buy my essential oils through www.youngliving.com because they are a very high quality essential oil. If you need essential oils, email me at don@donshetterly.com and I can get you set up with what you need and get you a good price!

IMPORTANT NOTE:  I  no longer buy my oils at Young Living.  Because of their dubious practices in sales, I found a much better supplier, http://www.anandaapothecary.com/   Ananda has wonderful customer service, high quality oils and great prices!