5 Benefits Of Lemon Essential Oil (And How To Use It)

Published 5th Oct 2022

One of the most popular essential oils, Lemon Essential Oil is highly valued for use in all things skincare, aromatherapy, natural cleaning and more.  

In this article, we’ll look at the benefits Lemon Essential Oil is known to bring to the mind, body and home, as well as how to use it to live your zest life.  


Firstly, What Is Lemon Essential Oil?

Lemon Essential Oil is extracted from the fruit rind of lemons (Citrus limonum) using the cold pressing method. This produces an oil reminiscent of summer sunshine with a deeply refreshing, citrusy and invigorating aroma.  

If you're looking to soothe acne, relieve brain fog or even combat dandruff, Lemon Essential Oil is the perfect all-rounder. We’ll take a closer look at just how versatile yet beneficial this oil is below.  


5 Benefits Of Lemon Essential Oil

Known for its energising, cleansing and uplifting properties, Lemon Essential Oil boasts an extensive list of benefits that include: 

1. Popular For Reliving Mental Fatigue

Looking to shift brain fog or mental fatigue? Lemon Essential Oil is highly valued in aromatherapy, known to soothe and relieve headaches, boost mental alertness and clear the mind.  

One 2008 study even revealed that inhaling Lemon Oil’s aroma from a cotton ball helped boost participants feelings of positivity and decisiveness.  

2. May Help Calm Acne

There’s nothing more irritating than acne or blemish prone skin that just won’t seem to clear. Lemon Oil’s astringent properties are known to counteract sebum production, making it one of the most popular essential oils for oily and acne prone skin. The antibacterial, antiseptic and antifungal properties of Lemon Oil are also known to assist in treating various skin concerns like rosacea, ulcers and fungal infections.  

Even better, the healing properties of Lemon Oil may help stimulate skin rejuvenation and assist in treating acne scarring. While its vitamin C content is known to gently exfoliate dead skin cells that can become trapped in pores and cause breakouts.  

3. Seen To Combat Dandruff

Lemon Essential Oil might help treat stubborn dandruff and clean greasy hair follicles. Its antiseptic and antimicrobial properties are known to work together to lift dead skin cells and help fight off bacterial and fungal infections that lead to dandruff.  

Not to mention, Lemon Oil also leaves the hair with a long-lasting, fresh fragrance. What’s not to love?! 

4. May Be A Great Natural Cleaner

If you’re searching for an all-purpose, chemical free cleaner for the home, Lemon Essential Oil may be the solution. Its natural antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties make it a fantastic natural cleaner. 

Even better, Lemon Oil is also a natural degreaser, known to work wonders for cleaning kitchens, stovetops and ovens. Not to mention it also leaves a pleasant and refreshing aroma.  

5. Seen To Even Out Complexion

Lemon Essential Oil is packed with antioxidants and astringent properties, two skin-loving powerhouses. This dynamic duo is believed to help brighten complexion, even out skin tone and work as a great natural toner.  

Applying a dilution of Lemon Essential Oil on the skin has been seen to not only invigorate a dull complexion, it's also known to help fight off free-radicals that can lead to signs of premature aging. 


How To Use Lemon Essential Oil

We all have our favourite ways to enjoy Lemon Essential Oil, with some of the most popular including: 

Topical Application

To enjoy Lemon Oil’s various benefits for the skin, dilute Lemon Essential oil into a carrier oil and apply to the skin as follows: 

  • For application on the skin, add a few drops of Lemon Oil to your preferred carrier oil, such as Almond or Jojoba, at a 2-4% dilution. 
  • For facial application, we recommend the same method at a 1% dilution. 

Inhalation Via A Diffuser

To create an energising atmosphere, we recommend adding a few drops of Lemon Oil to your aromatherapy diffuser, car diffuser or diffuser necklace. To do so: 

  • Add some water to the diffuser basin  
  • Add roughly 5 drops of Lemon Essential Oil  
  • Plug in and start your diffuser 

Quick tip: Lemon Oil is renowned for its uplifting abilities. Diffuse it in your study or office space to help you focus.  


3 Popular Ways To Use Lemon Essential Oil

There's almost nothing Lemon Oil can't do. These are some of our favourite ways you can add a little "zest” to your daily routine:  

1. Combine With A Carrier Oil For An Acne Fighting Serum

Tired of acne? Simply dilute Lemon Oil into a carrier oil of your choice and apply to the affected area using a cotton ball and let the acne fighting benefits of Lemon Oil do its thing. 

2. Mix With Your Shampoo To Moisturise The Scalp

To hydrate the scalp and leave your hair with a refreshing, citrus scent, simply add a few drops of Lemon Oil to your shampoo and moisturise into the scalp.  

3. Combine With Vinegar For A Natural Cleaner

As we’ve mentioned, Lemon Oil boasts a wealth of benefits for cleaning. Add a few drops of Lemon Oil into a spray bottle of vinegar or water for a natural, germ-fighting cleaning product.  

What Does Lemon Essential Blend Well With?

The zesty scent of Lemon Oil not only blends well with other citrus’, but a variety of other essential oils. Some of our favourite diffuser blends include:  

For An Energising Blend

For A Blend To Focus The Mind

For A Floral, Spring-Inspired Blend

Energise Essential Oil Pack

Easily create your own energy boosting blend with our Essential Oil Energise Pack

Spring Garden Essential Oil Pack

Create a spring garden in your very own home with our Spring Garden Essential Oil Pack. 

Focus Essential Oil Pack

Our Essential Oil Focus Pack is great for alleviating brain fog and mental fatigue.


How Do You Know If You Have Quality Lemon Essential Oil?

To reap the rewards of Lemon Essential Oil, you’ll want to make sure you’re using a 100% pure product. For this reason, is it important to look for several key features when buying essential oils to ensure you’re purchasing a quality product.  

Top 6 Things To Look For

  1. The oils Latin name, Citrus limonum, listed on the bottle. If a product doesn’t have the Latin name listed, it’s probably a mix of synthetic fragrance oils.   
  2. Oil packaging is in a dark glass bottle. This will prevent light and heat from damaging the oil. 
  3. The label clearly states ‘100% pure Lemon Essential Oil’. This will ensure the product isn’t blended with any other oils.    
  4. Be sure to check the expiry date if buying in store.  
  5. The product clearly states where the oil is from.   
  6. Be wary of a very low price. It could be an indicator of low quality or adulterated essential oils.

At AWO, we ethically source our Lemon Essential Oil from Australia and do not dilute it with any other ingredients. This means you’re getting exactly what you pay for, 100% pure Lemon Essential Oil naturally extracted via cold press.    


Considerations For Use

Like most citrus oils, the properties of Lemon Essential Oil may cause phototoxicity, meaning you should refrain from going in the sun or use adequate sun protection after use. Lemon Oil use may result in skin irritations, that's why we always recommend performing a skin patch test before incorporating it into your routine.   

AWO’s Lemon Oil is 100% pure and therefore very concentrated, so we always recommend diluting before using topically. Because they are so potent, essential oils can cause serious harm if ingested without the necessary expertise.    

For this reason, you should never ingest essential oils. We also recommend storing your Lemon Essential Oil in a cool, dry place at room temperature, ensuring that they are not directly exposed to sunlight and are out of reach of children or pets. 


What Customers Are Saying About Lemon Oil

“A favourite! Love the smell, clean and fresh and lasts a long time. Love using this in my diffuser”
Amanda (Verified Customer)

“Light and uplifting, I get compliments from anyone who walks through my front door when using this oil in my diffusers. Blends very well with both Pink Grapefruit and Sweet Orange. Beautifully packaged and great quality staple!”
Miesha (Verified Customer)


Castor Oil for Hair

Ho ho ho! We’re only a little while away from the holiday season – and it’s not too soon to sta

Castor Oil Benefits for Skin

Ho ho ho! We’re only a little while away from the holiday season – and it’s not too soon to sta

Formulation 101 - Sleep Room Spray

Creating the right consistency for a room spray is key in dispersing scent throughout the air,