You may have heard of essential oils, and maybe you even thought that they were mainly good for making your house smell nice, or for being used as perfume.
However, essential oils have countless uses that can help you improve your skin, your health, and your overall beauty.
If you’re a busy mom or career woman and are strapped for cash, the good news is that this oil is incredibly affordable. Combing that fact with the oil’s long shelf life and the fact that it has plenty of health applications makes it a good thing to have around.
Wondering how exactly lemon essential oil can make your life better?
Here, we’ll look at 12 amazing benefits of lemon essential oil – an oil that is as versatile and good for you as it is pleasant-smelling.
1. Treat Coughs, Colds, and Sore Throats
Lemon essential oil can be used to treat a variety of common ailments.
If you have a sore throat, blogger Gaye recommends adding a few drops of the oil to hot tea. The lemon oil will add extra soothing benefit to the tea, and since it doubles as a flavor enhancer, the tea will be especially pleasant.
And since lemon is a common additive to tea, the flavor of the oil goes well with virtually any type of tea.
If you have a cold or are congested, rubbing some of the oil on your throat and/or chest will also do wonders for your congestion. Plus, it will leave you with a light, pleasant lemon scent.
2. Whiten Teeth
If you want to whiten your teeth, but are discouraged by the high price tag attached to both professional and over-the-counter treatments, there’s good news- lemon oil can whiten teeth for a fraction of the cost!
Dr. Axe, a physician who runs the health website DrAxe.com, recommends mixing some of the lemon essential oil with baking soda and coconut oil to make a tooth-whitening treatment.
To use this treatment, rub onto teeth, wait two minutes, and then wash off. An added benefit is that, unlike the expensive treatments you’ll find in stores, this one is much easier on tooth enamel (as well as much easier on your wallet).
3. Ditch Stubborn Fat Fast
If you’re having trouble losing weight and feeling energized, lemon essential oil can help boost your metabolism and lose those last stubborn pounds (or kickstart a weight loss program).
Adding two drops of the oil to your water three times a day to promote fat loss. This may also motivate you to stay hydrated, since the lemon oil adds a pleasant hint of lemon flavor to your water.
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4. Enhance Your Mood Naturally
If you’re looking for a way to boost your mood without taking a pill, lemon essential oil is your answer. In one study of 56 healthy volunteers, the volunteers who smelled lemon oil reported experiencing a more elevated mood, despite the fact that their hands were placed in ice water.
In order to get the mood benefits of this pleasant oil, simply inhale a little when you’re feeling stressed. You can also rub a little on the insides of your wrists as you would with perfume so the scent, as well as its health benefits, follow you.
Related: 14 Marvelous Uses & Benefits of Sandalwood Essential Oil
5. Boost Your Immune System
By now, you’ve probably realized that lemon essential oil is a lot more than just a pleasant-smelling oil. But did you know it can boost your immune system function, too?
This oil is extremely rich in vitamins, and it stimulates white blood cell production.
In addition, it also boost circulation, which can promote immunity as well as support general health.
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6. Improve the Health and Shine of Your Hair
We all know that healthy, shiny hair can top off any look, but you don’t need expensive hair products or salon treatments to get there. Dr. Jeffrey Shapiro notes that, since having enough oil is vital to hair health, rubbing lemon essential oil through your hair can not only nourish it, but also give it an eye-catching shine.
Make sure you don’t overdo the oil application, since you probably don’t want your hair to look greasy. And as an added bonus, since lemon oil smells much better than may hair products, you’ll also have a light lemon scent that lasts most of the day.
7. Correct Dark Spots on Skin
If you have old acne scars or other scars, you likely know how frustrating it can be to deal with skin hyper-pigmentation. The blemishes themselves are long gone, but you’re left with what you might consider an unsightly reminder.
However, popular YouTube user Bronzegoddess01 explains that lemon essential oil is incredibly useful to correct the dark spots on your face. This treatment is milder than many skin treatments, like chemical peels, that some people may turn to in hopes of reducing or eliminating hyperpigmentation.
8. Use as a Natural Antiseptic
If you have a minor cut or skin blemish, lemon oil works well as a natural antiseptic. According to Livestrong.com, the antispetic benefits are best if applied soon after you get the cut.
Because the oil is somewhat strong, diluting it before applying it to the cut may help. Carri Reichert, an LMT in Colorado, suggests soaking a clean cloth in the diluted lemon oil and then applying the cloth to the wound for about 10 minutes.
Doing this early on can help to reduce your chances of infection.
9. Treat Cold Sores
It may sound hard to believe, but lemon oil also has powerful antiviral properties. This is due to the fact that it is rich in polyphenols, which are compounds known for virus-fighting abilities.
The best way to treat cold sores this way is by first getting lemon oil in the form of a lip balm.
Then, you just need to apply the balm several times per day as soon as you start to feel a cold sore coming on. She says that, in many cases, the sore will heal completely in six days, and that treatment with the oil will likely speed up the healing.
Related: 25 Reasons To Starting Using Lavender Essential Oil Daily
10. Reduce the Appearance of Warts and Calluses
While most people have had to deal with a wart or callus, chances are good that you’d rather not have to deal with them, or that you at least want to make them less noticeable.
Dr. Joseph Mercola suggests that, in order to minimize the appearance of either of these, rubbing lemon oil into the skin regularly can help.
Part of the reason lemon oil works in this way is likely because it can have hydrating and moisturizing effects on the skin. Since calluses in particular often appear dry, the oil may help even out your skin tone.
11. Get Rid of Bad Breath
Nobody likes to have bad breath. If you have it, or suspect you do, ditch the breath mints in favor of some lemon oil. Using lemon oil to improve bad breath is nothing new. It has been used to help with bad breath since the development of Ayurveda, or traditional Indian medicine.
You can make lemon oil into a diluted mouthwash in order to treat bad breath, or you may be able to derive some benefit from adding a few drops to your drinking water on a regular basis.
12. Help With Stomach Upset
We all feel a little queasy from time to time, and whether your stomach upset is a rare occurrence or a regular thing, treating it with lemon oil is a cost-effective way to soothe your stomach.
If you have an upset stomach or indigestion, Dr. Jeffrey Shapiro suggests adding a few drops to your water when you experience symptoms. He suggests adding three drops per glass.
Give Lemon Essential Oil A Try Today!
While many people realize that essential oils have some benefit, few people understand the incredible versatility of essential oils in general, or lemon oil in particular.
Remember that you don’t need to try every single remedy on the list- you may find you only need lemon essential oil for one or two uses.
But part of the beauty of this all-purpose oil is its cost-effectiveness, so even if you’re unsure of whether you want to add it to your day-to-day life, you can easily pick up a bottle without breaking the bank.