Lemon (Citrus limon) from the Rutaceae (citrus) botanical family.  It has a strong, purifying, citrus scent that is revitalizing and uplifting. Lemon consists of 68 percent dlimonene, a powerful antioxidant. It is deliciously refreshing in water and very beneficial for the skin (trust me, read my story!). Lemon may also be used to enhance the flavor of foods. Lemon essential oil is cold-pressed from the rinds of lemons. Jean Valnet MD estimated that it takes 3,000 lemons to produce one kilo of oil. In his book, The Practice of Aromatherapy, Valnet wrote that lemon is a tonic for supporting the nervous and sympathetic nervous system.* Lemon has an approximate ORAC of 6,619 (TE/L). TE/L is expressed as micromole Trolox equivalent per liter.



CAUTION: Citrus oils should NOT be applied to skin that will be exposed to direct sunlight for 12 hours or ultraviolet light within 72 hours.  The lemon rind attracts the sun in nature, which is what ripens the lemon.



Historically, lemon has been used to cure food poisoning, malaria, typhoid, and scurvy.  I'm telling you, essential oils are not some new fad... our culture has simply forgotten... so thankful they are being rediscovered by so many!

So, what can YOU use lemon essential oil for?  Well, here are a few places to start:
1. Air Freshener. Put 6 drops of Lemon oil and 6 drops of Purification oil in a squirt bottle (I got mine at whole foods for about $2.00, it's a pretty blue glass spray bottle) mixed with distilled water to use in bathroom as an air freshener.  Yay for this one!

2. Remove Gum, Oil, Grease Spots and Crayons. Use 1-2 drops of Lemon oil to remove gum, oil, grease spots or crayon.  My 2 year old painted her whole self with black finger nail polish the other day!  I dripped lemon oil on it, rubbed it gently with my fingers and it began dissolving and turned into a powder and she was all cleaned up!

3. Varicose Veins. Rub several drops of Lemon oil on varicose veins to improve circulation and relieve pressure on the veins.
4. Lemonade. For homemade lemonade, in a blender mix 2 drops of Lemon oil, 2 Tbsp of honey and 2 cups of pure water. YUM!

5. Callouses / Bunions / Warts. Rub a drop of Lemon oil on a corn, callous, bunion or wart mornings and evenings until it disappears.
6. Clean & prolong the life of fresh fruit and veggies! To clean and increase shelf life of fresh fruit, fill a bowl with cool water and 2-3 drops of Lemon oil. Drop cleaned fruit into the water and stir. Be sure all surfaces of the fruit contact the lemon
7. Counter Tops. Add 2-3 drops of Lemon oil to water and spray counter to sterilize. Smells so good too!

8. Dishcloths. Soak your dishcloth overnight in a bowl of water and a drop of Lemon oil to disinfect and kill germs.
9. Public Bathrooms. Rub a drop of Lemon oil on your hands after using a public bathroom (you know how some bathrooms have no soap, or no sink?  Ewh.)  Another good one for this is the Thieves Hand Sanitizer!
10. Rub it on little feet to boost immunity!  Lemon oil is my "go to" when my little ones are fighting a bug.  Rub 1-2 drops on the bottom of their feet every 20 minutes, until symptoms subside.  (P.S.  This works for big feet too ;)
11. Water purification.  1 drop to 12-16 oz of water purifies water, removing nitrates!
12. Remove stains & brighten fabrics & carpets.  1-2 drops on the stain.  I just removed a bright orange stain of who knows what, from my white shag rug with lemon oil and Thieves Household Cleaner.
13. Skin.  Brighten your complexion and remove dead skin cells (remember dont go in the sun for 12 hours, and no tanning for 72 hours).  Lemon also is antifungal and antiseptic, this is a key ingredient in my blend for my skin condition.
14.  Fingernails.  Strengthen & harden your nails with lemon oil.
15.  Brain POWER!  Lemon helps promote thought clarity.  Diffuse it while working or studying.  Or, place 2 drops in your palm, cup your hands and breath in through your nose.
16.  Anxiety.  Lemon oil promotes health, and healing.  Its fragrance is invigorating and promotes feelings of well being.
17. Cellulite.  Rub lemon oil on affected areas.  
18.  Food!  Use lemon oil to flavor your food!  I just used it to create a new recipe, Lori's Lemon Superfood Bites.
More to come...
 ~And remember, ALL of my posts on essential oils ONLY apply to Young Living Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils. Young Living oils promote HEALTH... others just might smell pretty and give you a headache.  Most Young Living Essential Oils can be used as dietary supplements, and have directions right on the label. Wouldn't it be great to be prescribed Young Living Essential oils instead of pharmaceuticals, and actually experience true healing?  Well, we may not be able to get a prescription here in The States, but we can still take control of our health and use essential oils!
Why cant you just buy your essential oils at the grocery store? "Over 90% of what is sold in the United States as 'pure' essential oil is fragrance-grade and diluted. (The FDA has determined that a product need contain only 5% of the ingredient on the label in order to use the word pure.) These oils are found on the shelves of many health food stores and at online discount houses. They may be less expensive, but THEY WILL NOT BE USEFUL FOR HEALTH :( ." If you would like to learn more about Young Living Essential Oils, become a wholesale or retail customer, have questions, or need help using your YL Essential Oils,  THIS is the website you need!  Let me know if I can help you!  ~ Lori References:
Essential Oils Desk Reference. Compiled by Essential Science Publishing.
Reference Guide for Essential Oils by Connie & Alan Higley
Gary D. Young N.D.  An Introduction to Young Living Essential Oils.

Why do I say essential oils "saved my life"?  Well, I was being robbed of truly LIVING... 

I was almost 21 years old when I became afflicted with a skin condition...  doctors couldn't identify it.  Most of the time it was invisible.  Sometimes I would break out in small blisters all over my body, sometimes purple splotches, sometimes pink prickly spots, or a bumpy rash.  It became much worse over time... debilitating.  Itching and pain are communicated in the brain the same.  So, for me, I would itch intensely and alleviate that by scratching.. which made me feel pain... but pain was better than the itching.  I felt crazy.  I couldn't get dressed because many of my clothes irritated my skin.  I couldn't exercise because it made me so uncomfortably itchy.  Friends thought I just didn't like to get out, I was a considered a "homebody", I would agree with that because it was easier than explaining my affliction... really, I just couldn't go out much because every day was the same... debilitating.  I used to be very outgoing.  I was so embarrassed that I couldn't make this go away, I simply kept it a secret from most people... but my family knew.  I couldn't let my kids sit on my lap for very long because the heat from their bodies made my skin crawl.  I couldn't go swimming with my family, so I would sit on the side.  I couldn't sit in the sun because my skin would burn and itch.  One drink of wine would seemingly send out a heat wave and cause my skin to burn and itch.  Chocolate, tomatoes, and some other foods would do the same.  I couldn't go 5 minutes without thinking about how much pain I was feeling.  I tried to distract myself, tried to talk myself into thinking it was all in my head.  Even in my sleep, I dreamt of itching, pain, fiery sensations in my skin.  I never slept well at night, if I even could sleep at all.  Sometimes I would take pain medicine or benedryl, just to alleviate some of the itching and pain, so that I could sleep.  I would wake up most nights and realize I had scratched til I bled.  Many nights my husband would wake me up telling me to stop scratching.  Sounds like a nightmare... it was.  I felt like I had a plague.  I felt so lonely, frequently depressed... like I was involved in an internal war with myself.  It sometimes made me feel like I could truly go insane... I felt like the leper in the Bible.  I had been to the dermatologist, doctor, and naturopath.  I had tests for allergies to food and other things.  I was told I had eczema and dermatitis... they prescribed topical medicines, I tried them all.  They made my skin feel worse.  I had to stop nursing my second child before we were ready so that I could try another medicine.  The only thing that helped alleviate the rash was Prednisone.  I would go on that for 8 days... my skin would clear... and then it would all start over. My husband was a pharmacy tech & after a few years of seeing the darkside of the pharmaceutical industry, he let his license expire & got out. My cupboards were full of prescriptions, creams & lotions. I stopped using all of the prescriptions because they were all so bad for my body, and what was the point, they didn't help. I tried natural remedies... nothing worked... nothing.  I  prayed and suffered... for 13 years.

Before we left for family camp in August (summer 2012), I had googled eczema and dermatitis cures once again, as I had many times before.  I came across a blog about an essential oil cure... lemon, lavender, melaleuca (tea tree), and peppermint.  I was super skeptical... like I said, nothing worked for me.  I had tried essential oils a bit in the past with no improvement.  It kept coming to remembrance though, and I wondered, what if?  We left for family camp... one of my girls got sick while we were there.  My good friend brought over a few essential oils from Young Living and rubbed my daughters feet.  She left me with lemon and lavender essential oil to continue applying to my daughter to help her with her symptoms.  Later that night, as I was once again in agony, I recalled that blog I had read... lemon and lavender... I had those.  I applied them and felt an immediate relief... but just slightly... but it was enough to resist scratching.  I continued applying them, along with a bit of organic olive oil.  Within 3 days, I had been able to make it through an entire day without scratching.  That was a huge improvement!  My friend brought over peppermint and I added that to my regimen.  I ordered some more oils, adding peppermint and melaleuca.  I made it one week without scratching... it just kept getting better!

So what is the difference with Young Living Essential Oils?  Well, I learned that they are therapeutic grade oils.  The oils I had used previously were not pure, and were doing me more harm than good (if any at all).  So, I am a true believer in Young Living Essential Oils... because for me, they were my lifesaver. (You can read more about why we chose Young Living HERE.)

If you or someone you love are suffering from a skin condition, you may also find relief with the regimen I am using.  Here is exactly what I do...  

Remember to start with clean skin, no lotions or creams or anything on your skin before applying the oils! Avoid lotions with petrolatum (no Aveeno does not = healthy skin), fragrances (even if it says natural, essential oils, etc... these are almost always synthetic and/or chemical based), etc. Stick with just organic virgin coconut oil, organic olive oil, avocado oil, or Young Livings V-6, or any of Young Living's massage oils or lotions (Lavender is my favorite! Makes my skin feel amazing!).

Open your oils up, it will be easier to do this now than after you have oils in your hand...
 Put about 1/4 tsp of Virgin Coconut Oil in the palm of your hand.  Add 1 drop of each of the following essential oils:  Lemon, Lavender, Melaleuca Alternifolia, and Peppermint.
Massage gently into affected area.  Repeat process on all areas of affected skin.

A 15mL bottle of YL Essential Oil contains approximately 300 drops.  So, you should have plenty for quite a while.  I started out applying the oils every time I felt itchy.  At first, this was quite often.  Within 3 days, I was applying oils about 5 times.  I now apply the oils after bathing and sometimes before bed.

I also have found relief with putting Peace & Calming Essential Oil into my YL Diffuser at bedtime.  My skin condition, like many others,  is aggravated with stress, and being over tired.  The diffuser really helps me to relax and fall asleep.  You can also run the diffuser with 1 drop of each of the skin care regimen oils.  With the affected area of skin exposed and close to the diffuser, the skin is able to soak in the oils being diffused.  Very therapeutic and relaxing. (I now have an amazing bedtime routine that I will share here soon!)

If you would like to order Young Living Essential Oils, you can do so here, Roots of Integrity - Young Living (or ask the person who led you to this page or has been helping you so far), and have it shipped right to your door! If you would like to order at wholesale cost (24% off retail), you can also become a member like I did.  If you order the "Premium Start Living with Everyday Oils Kit", you will get 11 essential oils, which include the oils you need for your skin, plus the home diffuser, plus a bunch of other stuff you can use & share!  The value is incredible, you're saving over 50% off of retail with this kit! Please let me know if I can do anything to help you!