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With its fresh, sweet aroma, Palmarosa reminds me of drinking a cool lemonade while having a picnic in the middle of a grassy field. Just as such a setting would engender a relaxed, happy mood, this oil will inspire a similar calm and open state of mind. Let's discover what else it can do.
Palmarosa is great in diffusing blends during cold and flu season as it may help disinfect the air with its antibacterial properties and can give a boost to the immune system. This makes it a good selection for a home-made cleaning blend too. Its antifungal and skin-loving attributes make it an excellent choice for foot soaks, soaps, lotions, and skin serums. Its cooling energetics may help reduce hot conditions that are both physical and mental -- like fever, muscle spasms, minor injuries, arthritis, anger, jealousy, and anxiety. Geraniol, a monoterpenol, is a major constituent of Palmarosa, and is the main chemical responsible for Palmarosa's therapeutic properties. It has also been scientifically shown to have a neuroprotective effect, and can prove to be a beneficial addition to a plan of prevention and/or management of diseases that affect the brain i.e. dementia. Palmarosa has a 5 year shelf life and is generally considered safe. Robert Tisserand recommends a maximum topical dilution of 6.5% because there is a very low risk of allergic reaction to the geraniol.
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My first attempt at making home-made bug spray included Lemongrass essential oil. It's fruity-herbal aroma made my back patio smell fresh and inviting. I've come a long way since those days and have made many home remedies using this happy oil. I've also learned to respect its boundaries.
Lemongrass in a spray or diffuser can keep bugs - meaning insects and germs - at bay. It can lift the spirits when you're feeling gloomy while the citral (a combination of the chemicals neral and geranial) act to calm the nerves. In topical blends, Lemongrass is an effective antifungal for skin infections, and its cooling effect may assist in reducing fevers. Its antibacterial properties make it a good choice in products for acne. The citral content (> 70%) comes back into play as an analgesic which may relieve nociceptive pain. Neral and geranial are chemicals in the aldehyde family. Chemicals in this classification need to be kept to low dilutions and used for short periods of time to prevent irritation and/or damage to the skin or mucous membranes. In the case of Lemongrass Essential Oil, that dilution should be a maximum of 0.7% (about 4 drops per 1 ounce of carrier oil). Other EOs in the blend and the carrier oil(s) need to be strong skin protectors/healers. If you take prescribed medications (like certain antidepressants), you'll want to check that Lemongrass won't interfere with them,  Cooling, fruity, refreshing, uplifting -- Lime essential oil can add these and more energetics to any blend. When you're feeling blue, the light aroma of Lime can cheer you up. It's also a great oil to have on hand during cold and flu season.
With significant levels of both monoterpenes and monoterpenols, this essential oil can have an anti-microbial effect. It's antiseptic, antiviral, and antibacterial. Diffused, it'll help purify the air, and it can be used in a homemade general cleaning solution. Lime EO has a substantial amount of the monoterpene limonene which can activate your white blood cells to help you fight infections, and it may even help with treatments for several viruses. Topically, Lime EO can help with clearing up acne-prone skin, and its astringent properties can help tone the skin. It is also anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive (may relieve nociceptive pain), so it's a good addition to blends for asthma and arthritis. When you use Lime essential oil, be sure to check how it was extracted. When distilled, it's safe on the skin; however, cold pressed Lime Essential Oil is phototoxic. You'll soon be able to read more about this beautiful essential oil in the membership section of this website.  Cold pressed from the peel of the fruit, lemon essential oil brings a fresh, citrus aroma to any blend. Just as an ice-cold glass of lemonade can quench your thirst on a hot summer day, this essential oil can add significant therapeutic properties to EO formulas.
Its uplifting energetics can brighten a gloomy day and reduce stress. With a high level of the monoterpene Limonene, Lemon essential oil is cooling, astringent, antioxidant, and antidepressant. It has analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antispasmodic benefits as well. So Lemon EO is good in topical and inhalation blends to reduce swelling, pain, and muscle spasms, and will help improve your mood while doing so! It's quite helpful in blends for varicose veins too. As a skin-penetration enhancer, it'll bring all the components of a blend deeper into the layers of your skin. Wait, it gets better. Lemon EO is antibacterial and antiviral. You can use it in homemade cleaning solutions and diffuser blends during cold and flu season. It stimulates your immune system and supports your liver. I love to add it to a glycerin soap base for hand-washing. While Lemon essential oil is pretty safe, there are some cautions that need to be taken into consideration when using it. It is phototoxic, and it will oxidize easily. Phototoxicity means that when this oil is applied topically at too high of a dilution, it will cause a skin reaction if exposed to UV rays (sunlight or tanning beds). This reaction may be in the form of burns or areas of skin discoloration, and it may be temporary or permanent. To avoid the possibility of a phototoxic reaction, make sure your product contains no more than 2% lemon EO. (That's 12 drops or less in 1 ounce of carrier oil.) It's also important to store your oil in a cool dark place and to minimize exposure to the air. The limonene content will oxidize (spoil) easily (with exposure to light, heat, air, and time). Once oxidized, it will irritate the skin. (If you use an oil that has oxidized, you'll know almost immediately by the severe burning sensation and reddening skin!) It's best to write the date you first open your essential oil on the bottle so you will know when it expires. Lemon EO has a two year shelf life (although refrigeration may help extend its shelf life a bit longer). There is one more concern that I'll express here. It takes approximately 30 lemons to make 1 drop of Lemon essential oil. Like all essential oils, this one drop is highly concentrated. I've heard of some people adding 2 - 3 drops of Lemon EO to a glass of water then drinking it. I strongly caution against doing this with Lemon, or any other essential oil. Water and oil don't mix, so water is not a carrier for essential oils. Ingesting 2 - 3 drops of Lemon EO is the equivalent of eating 60 - 90 lemons -- which is not good for anyone! With no carrier oil to protect the mucous membranes of your digestive tract, the undiluted essential oil drops may damage the cells of the lining in your esophagus and/or stomach. Additionally, drinking undiluted essential oil drops may cause damage to internal organs. Such damage may go unnoticed until it's too great to repair. Even with the precautions I've mentioned above, Lemon essential oil has G.R.A.S. (Generally Regarded As Safe) status, and if stored and used properly is an excellent component to a variety of blends. To learn more about Lemon EO, you can read about it in the Essential Oil Datasheets on this website. |
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