25 May 2022 / Caitlin Devlin
How citrus essential oils can boost your wellbeing
Discover the benefits of the oils extracted from these seven citrus fruits.
Citrus oils are known primarily for their uplifting qualities.
Able to lift mood, lower stress and banish fatigue, citrus essential oils can provide a boost to our mental health and spread positivity throughout our home.
With strong antibacterial abilities, citrus oils can also act as useful home cleaning agents and can have great benefits for skin. Their bright, sunny scents have an energising effect that can lift any blend and leave your space smelling beautiful.
It is important to remember when working with citrus oils that many of them can be phototoxic. This means that it is best to avoid using cold pressed citrus oils on skin.
If you do decide to apply cold pressed citrus oils topically then remember to stay out of direct sunlight for at least eighteen hours. We would always recommend using steam distilled or furocoumarin-free (FCF) citrus oils for topical application.
Factors that affect the immune system
There can be many contributing factors to how strong or weak your immune system may be at any given time. Everyday elements like stress, sleep, diet, exercise, and even time of year can impact your health in a number of ways.
Many of these factors are simply inevitable parts of life, and all of us will, eventually, become exposed to illnesses or toxins that can weaken our immune system no matter how hard we may try to maintain it.
Thankfully, essential oils can help with several of these factors when implemented into a daily routine.
Where to apply essential oils to boost the immune system
There are many ways to use essential oils, and these uses can be adjusted and adapted depending on your preferences and what works best for you.
In general, diffusing essential oils using an aroma diffuser or oil burner is the preferred method, as it allows for easy inhalation as well as leaving a pleasant smell around your home that can be beneficial for hours.
Essential oils can also be inhaled directly from the bottle or from a tissue if you prefer a more direct, quicker approach to aromatherapy.
Others may prefer to apply the oil topically (to the skin), by combining the essential oil with a carrier oil like jojoba or coconut.
This combination can then be added to the temples, forehead, neck, or chest to provide relief and give the brain and body a boost. Please note that a patch test must always be performed before applying essential oils to the skin.
Citrus essential oils also make great additions to cleaning products. Adding citrus oils to DIY or natural home cleaners can help facilitate an immune-boosting environment as well as provide a remedy against fungus and bacteria.
Essential oils should never be taken internally.
Best citrus essential oils for the immune system
Bergamot oil
Bergamot is often used as a natural remedy for anxiety. Its zesty scent has been shown to decrease stress and fatigue, lifting spirits and relieving anxious feelings.
As well as its benefits for mental health, bergamot can support our physical wellbeing by helping to soothe sore muscles and reduce the sensation of pain, which it does by blocking effects on pain receptors.
Bergamot is also a highly antibacterial oil and can be used in facial cleansers or homemade cleaning sprays.
Learn more about the benefits of bergamot essential oil.
Grapefruit oil
Grapefruit has incredible antibacterial abilities, able to combat sixty-seven distinct biotypes. It is also a fantastic natural remedy for sluggishness.
Known to lift ‘brain fog’ and increase alertness, grapefruit oil is often inhaled as a hangover cure, waking up the mind and relieving that unpleasant ‘morning after’ feeling. Grapefruit can also reduce stress and anxiety and has an impressive ability to lower blood pressure.
Learn more about the benefits of grapefruit essential oil.
Lemon oil
The high d-limonene content in lemon essential oil makes it an effective cleaning agent, able to combat various strains of bacteria and fungi. These cleansing abilities make it highly beneficial for skin, as do its astringent properties, which allow it to constrict pores and reduce the appearance of wrinkles and acne.
Lemon oil is also said to increase energy and alertness and has been said to reduce feelings of nausea.
Lime oil
Lime is a calming, soothing oil, able to reduce levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, in the body. Its anti-inflammatory properties make it a great treatment for sore or strained muscles.
Lime oil also shows impressive antibacterial and antiviral activity. It acts against both gram positive and gram negative bacteria and can significantly reduce the effects of viruses such as influenza.
Learn more about the benefits of lime essential oil.
Citrus oils are brightening, invigorating, and positivity-promoting.
Mandarin oil
Mandarin oil is a natural insomnia cure, able to reduce anxiety-related sleep loss. It also has positive effects on sensations of pain or nausea.
Its strong cleaning properties make it a useful natural food preservative, cleaning agent and face wash, whilst its anti-inflammatory properties can help to soothe swelling and redness on the skin. Unlike other citrus oils, mandarin is said to be very gentle when applied topically.
Orange oil
A powerful cleaning agent, orange oil is often used in homemade cleaning sprays. Sweet orange oil can also be used to cleanse skin with caution, although you should stay out of direct sunlight for a considerable amount of time after application.
Orange oil not only deeply cleanses pores, but it boosts collagen production, increasing skin elasticity. Orange oil is also said to anxiety and blood pressure.
Learn more about the benefits of orange essential oil.
Tangerine oil
Tangerine is a sedative, calming oil that can treat stress-induced insomnia and promote healthy sleep patterns.
It’s known to reduce stress and boost mood, and also has strong anti-inflammatory properties, able to soothe sore muscles and joints. The antioxidant properties of the oil work to guard our health and protect us from the damaging oxidising effects of free radicals.
Cheerful citrus oils are always a great addition to any collection. Take some time to explore our range and discover your favourite.
If you’re looking for the ultimate zesty blend, try our Citrus Relief Pure Essential Oil Blend to experience the combined benefits of some of our favourite citrus scents.
Shop it here.
Shop our citrus essential oils here.
