21 Uses for Lemon Essential Oil

When your kitchen smells like the ghost of dinners past, you diffuse Lemon. When a child’s sticker leaves residue on your car window, you defy it with Lemon. When you need a little more spring in your step, you dilute Lemon with V-6™ and dab it on your wrist. Life is full of Lemon moments; it’s no wonder this essential oil is a Young Living favourite!

YL Fact: Lemon essential oil is extracted from the lemon rinds, or peel of the lemon. The lemon rinds are cold pressed to produce lemon essential oil. In one year, a single lemon tree has the potential to produce between 230 and 270 kilograms of lemons. It typically takes around 75 lemons to fill a 15mL essential oil bottle.

From brightened beverages to sparkling skin, we’re sharing 21 ways to use those little drops of liquid sunshine. Say hello to Lemon essential oil, your new zest friend!

Cheerful aromatic

Whether you’re tackling traffic or battling bad odours, Lemon essential oil’s zesty aroma can shed sunshine on the situation. Its invigorating scent is like the perfect rush-hour playlist—light, bright, and energizing!

1. Snuff out stinky smells by placing a Lemon-infused cotton ball in the refrigerator, bathroom drawer, or trash can.

2. Stay on task when working on that big business presentation or last-minute school project and add a few drops of Lemon to your diffuser.

3. Blast some great tunes on the radio—and Lemon oil in your Car Vent Diffuser—to channel your inner road warrior. Life is a highway! 

4. Draw on the energizing aroma of Peppermint and Lemon oils when you need an aromatic pick-me up! Take a drop of each and dilute with 8 drops V-6. Apply the blend to your temples or behind your ears.

5. Look on the bright side by surrounding yourself with this blend’s stimulating aroma.

Skin care superstar

Chemical peels have nothing on these lemon peels! Radiant-looking skin is a real thing thanks to Lemon essential oil. Add a few drops to your skin care routine if you’re ready for glowing, gorgeous skin. Remember to use Lemon on your skin only at night or wait at least 12 hours before heading outdoors. Permission to fall in love with more lustrous skin?  Granted!

6. Wake up to a complexion that has some serious wow factor by adding Lemon oil to your favourite night cream.

ART Gentle Cleanser

7. Give your face a hydration hug with a DIY face mask: 1 teaspoon coconut oil, 1 teaspoon honey, plus 1 drop Lemon oil. Apply and let sit for 15 minutes before rinsing with warm water.

8. Wash away the day’s stress and impurities with a Lemon-infused cleanser like our ART® Gentle Cleanser.

9. Treat the rest of your body to the skin-smoothing power of DIY loofah soaps and enjoy the sunny citrus scent of this at-home spa experience!

Cleaning wonder

If commercial cleaners had a popularity contest, lemon-scented products would win the gold. Unfortunately, so would products filled with harsh chemicals and toxic ingredients. When it comes to cleaning your home naturally, Lemon essential oil and other natural cleaners win best in show. If best in safe were a category, they’d win that too!

10. Find gum in your child’s hair? Liberate their locks with 1-2 drops of Lemon oil.

11. Discover your resident artist has left crayon drawings all over the bedroom wall? A little lemon oil goes a long way in creating a clean slate!

12. Fight oil with oil—for real! Battle greasy stovetops, counters, and dishes with a mix of Lemon and vinegar. Mix 20 drops with 1 cup white vinegar in a 475ml spray bottle and fill to the top with water. Spray those sticky surfaces and wipe clean with a damp cloth.

13. Infuse your laundry with the citrusy freshness of a lemon grove by adding 5-8 drops to the rinse cycle when washing clothes and towels.

14. Use Thieves® Household Cleaner—lemon is a main ingredient!—to get every part of your home sparkling. Check out these posts to learn some tricks for your bathroom and kitchen!

15. Banish hard-water buildup by tackling it with a paste made of baking soda, a little bit of water, and Lemon essential oil.

16. Dreaming of stainless steel sans syrupy fingerprints? Add 3 drops Lemon to a damp rag and polish those appliances to perfection!

17. Sit in some sap while on your great-outdoors getaway? Combine a drop of Lemon with a drop of V-6 and work it into that sticky spot.

Best food friend (BFF)

Lemon Oil is your new BFF—a little bit tart, a little bit sweet, and a lot of citrusy goodness. Add a splash of citrus to your favourite vinaigrette or a burst of lemon to your famous baked oatmeal. Lemon essential oil is the perfect spice cabinet sidekick, whether you’re sipping or sautéing.

18. Convince your kids to eat the sliced apples in their school lunch by tossing them in 2 drops of Lemon essential oil. Lemon Oil provides powerful antioxidants and will also help keep those vitamin-packed wedges from turning brown.*

19. Add a few drops of oil to a batch of Grandma’s lemon cookies. It’s a squeezy way to add some pucker power to her classic recipe!

20. Boost your motivation and your morning smoothie with a drop each of Lemon Oil and Grapefruit Vitality. This dynamic duo supports may help support your wellness goals.*

21. Meet your midday slump with a tall glass of water infused with a couple drops of invigorating citrus flavour. This calorie-free pick-me-up will brighten your day and bring a little sunshine into even the most windowless cubicle.

We can’t get enough of our sunny citrus oils! Grapefruit has skin-cleansing superpowers, Bergamot is a blends rock star, and Orange helps you smile from the inside out!

What’s your favourite use for Lemon essential oil? Try Chef Kate’s Salmon Poke Bowl recipe which is infused with lemon and ginger essential oil.

Share in the comments!

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration. Young Living products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.