Lemon Oil is regarded as one of the essential oils for cleansing the skin, giving a lift to drinks and adding that refreshing sharpness to food and drink. There is a also a strong association with improving the perception of acidity.
Lemon oil possesses componentry which make it ideal as a skin cleanser, for relaxation and reducing stress. It was long known for many of these benefits but it is only recently that the evidence for these effects is being drawn together.
Composition
The essential oil from the leaves and peel of lemons from a Cretan variety called Zambetakis (Citrus limon L. ) have been analysed using steam distillation (Vekiari et al., 2002). Thirty-five components were identified and the main-component was d-limonene from both types of oil. Components such as γ-terpinene, β-pinene, myrcene, neral, and geranial were found in the peel oil. One mark of quality is the high level of neral and geranial because of their susceptibility to heat damage and over-processing, or the age of the lemon used in oil extraction.
Benefits (Based on Anecdotal And Established Uses in The Market Place)
- helps digestion
- reduces stress
- alleviates rheumatism and arthritis
- alleviates gout
- skin cleanser especially for oily and irritated skin (note issue with d-limonene however and desensitised skin).
- for clearing up spots and acne
- topical treatment for skin boils, carbuncles and abscesses
- ideal in massage oils especially soothing muscular and joint pains, improving blood circulation.
- the aroma is often used in vapour rubs and of course aromatherapy
- reduces cellulite
- commonly found in throat syrups and lozenges because it eases symptoms of colds, flu and infections.
Reducing Stress
Lemon oil has a well known antidepressant and anti-stress benefit. It is one of the oils used in aromatherapy for calming us down but siginificant evidence to support the idea hasn’t always been forthcoming.
One study compared the anti-stress effects of essential oils from lavender, rose and lemon on mice in a learning activity (Komiya et al., 2006). the research conducted in Japan found of the three, lemon oil had the best anti-stress effect. In this instance the antidepressant effect was most closely related to the 5-HTnergic pathway via a 5-HT1A receptor. Their conclusion was that lemon oil supressed DA activity which was related to enhancing of the 5-HTnergic neurons in the hippocampus part of the brain.
Skin Cleansing
Lemon oil is very good at serving as a mild antifungal and antimicrobial generally. It has to be borne in mind though that the oil can upset sensitive skin because of its d-limonene content. Its use has to be treated therefore with some caution. A number of advocates often overlook the cautionary advice found in medical reports about over-use of this essential oil.
Wood Cleaning
Incidentally, given the oil is a natural cleanser, it is ideal for treating wooden surfaces and as part of other agents is used to clean violins and guitars. Care must be exercised however to avoid stripping the varnish from such instruments but if applied gently with cotton wool can remove plenty of dirt.
Especially useful on unfinished and unvarnished wood. It is valuable for bringing up the natural lustre in wood too and is often found in polishes and waxing materials.
Product Development
The oil imparts a clean and fragrant, citrusy note to foods. It also has a slight anti-fungal behaviour and shows some activity against a variety of moulds such as Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Penicillium chrysogenum and Penicillium verrucosum when examined with the agar dilution method. In a food environment, its activity may not be sufficient however in general, citrus oils are good antimicrobials and long been used as one of the hurdles in combination with acidic pH in minimising the impact of food spoilage organisms. One study (Viuda-Martos et al., 2008) found orange, grapefruit and mandarin oils to be the most effective against specific moulds but based on Foodwrite’s product development experience, lemon oil is still highly effective, especially when used in beverages.
Stability In Food
The essential oil from lemon is prone to readily breaking down. We earlier mentioned neral and geranial which are good markers of quality because they are prone to oxidation. We have reflected on ways to reduce instability in another article and the methodology used can be readily applied to stabilising other essential oils (see article).
Products
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References
Komiya, M., Takeuchi, T., & Harada, E. (2006). Lemon oil vapor causes an anti-stress effect via modulating the 5-HT and DA activities in mice. Behavioural Brain Research, 172(2), pp. 240-249. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2006.05.006
Schieberle, P., & Grosch, W. (1988). Identification of potent flavor compounds formed in an aqueous lemon oil/citric acid emulsion. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 36(4), pp. 797-800
Vekiari, S. A., Protopapadakis, E. E., Papadopoulou, P., Papanicolaou, D., Panou, C., & Vamvakias, M. (2002). Composition and seasonal variation of the essential oil from leaves and peel of a Cretan lemon variety. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 50(1), pp. 147-153
Viuda-Martos, M., Ruiz-Navajas, Y., Fernández-López, J., & Pérez-Álvarez, J. (2008). Antifungal activity of lemon (Citrus lemon L.), mandarin (Citrus reticulata L.), grapefruit (Citrus paradisi L.) and orange (Citrus sinensis L.) essential oils. Food Control 19(12), pp. 1130-1138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2007.12.003
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