Oil Of The Week - Lime Essential Oil
Citrus aurantifolia, also known as the Key lime, is a tart tasting, aromatic cousin in the Citrus family. Limes have a colourful history, from being used in Chinese medicine, to keeping the English sailors healthy during long stints at sea (hence they came to be known as Limeys), to being a main ingredient in the famous Key lime pie. The lime fruit itself is a versatile addition in cooking, and the essential oil also has many uses.
Lime essential oil is cold pressed from the peel. The main components in lime essential oil are limonene, known for its lemon-like scent and cleaning power, as well as beta pinene. Studies have shown beta pinene to support balanced brain chemistry, possibly relieving sad feelings. It is often used in perfumery. Limonene, a well known aromatic, has stimulating and mood enhancing effects. Together, these components make lime essential oil an uplifting and refreshing mood balancing oil.
In Traditional Medicine
Lime and its essential oil have been used in Chinese medicine for centuries. The Chinese used the fruit and oil for detoxifying the body, for digestion, promoting balance in all bodily systems, and to stimulate the appetite.
Immune System & Health
Lime oil comes from the fruit which has a high vitamin C content, and the oil has properties which may assist in the absorption of Vitamin C.. It is antiseptic, antiviral and antibacterial, so add it to your essential oil cleaning blend, burn to cleanse the air, or dab on a tiny amount to help heal and protect wounds.
Added to humidifiers, diffused in a burner or steam inhaled, lime essential oil is a bronchodilator, helping to relax lung and throat muscles and passageways, making for easier breathing and easing of bronchitis symptoms.
Skincare
Like some of the other citrus oil, particularly grapefruit and lemon, lime is an astringent, helping to refine pores and tighten up the skin. It is a great skin toner and tonic, and can be added to your creams, lotions, shampoos and handwashes.
Aromatherapy
Lime has an uplifting and refreshing scent and can be considered an antidepressant. It also contributes to mental clarity. Diffuse in a burner to lighten any space or simply dab a drop onto your neck to help cheer yourself up.
Lime will make your home smell and feel clean and fresh.
Cleaning
The limonene content in lime is what makes it a great cleaner, similar to the other citrus oils. Add a few drops of lime oil to a cloth to really shine up surfaces and add lime oil to your DIY cleaning products, either swapping out the lemon or sweet orange oils, or adding to them to make a great refreshing scented cleaner.
Warning: lime oil can be photosensitive so don’t apply and then go out into the sunlight.
Lime essential oil blends well with spicy scents such as black pepper, herbaceous aromas such as basil or thyme, as well as bright scents such as other citrus oils or even ylang ylang.
RECIPES
Lime Sugar Scrub
½ -¾ c brown sugar or coconut sugar
2 - 3 T avocado butter
2 T soft oil of choice, I like olive oil or grapeseed oil but you can use any
5-10 drops lime essential oil
Gently melt the avocado butter and oil together in a water bath. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar, then lastly add in the lime essential oil. Spoon into a glass jar or tin, leave to set then enjoy!
Cheerful Oil Burner Blend
15 drops lime
15 drops sweet orange
5 drops lemon
2 drops ylang ylang
Blend everything together in a bottle, then add a few drops to your burner or diffuser to brighten up any room and atmosphere.
Whipped Lime Scented Body Butter
100ml shea butter or avocado butter
20ml soft oil of choice such as almond or grapeseed oil , or any of your favourite oil(s)
1 tsp arrowroot powder
1 tsp allantoin
Melt the butter then add in your chosen oil and blend to combine. Add in the allantoin and arrowroot powder and stir well to incorporate. Add the essential oil. Set the mixture aside to cool until almost solid but not hard. To quicken this process you can pop in the fridge for 10-15 minutes, just watch that it doesn’t solidify completely. Once your body butter mixture has cooled and set a little bit, take out your electric beaters or whisk and blend until fluffy.
Refreshing Lime Hand Wash
9% or 22.5ml coco glucoside
10% or 25ml cocamidopropyl betaine
10% or 25ml vegetable glycerine
68% or 170ml water, or substitute some of the water for a floral water such as orange hydrosol
5ml OliveM 300 (optional but recommended)
3-5ml essential oils - lime (or try your own combinations with lime)
2-3 drops geogard 221 or euxyl 940
Weigh out the surfactants and stir gently to blend them. Then stir in the veg glycerine, then the water or hydrosol if using in a few additions, stirring in between each.
Dollop out some of the handwash into another bowl and stir in your essential oils and preservative, then add it all back into the main mixture. This just helps it combine better. If you are using the OliveM 300, add this in now too.
Test the pH, and if necessary adjust it down by adding a small amount of citric acid solution (a few citric acid crystals in some water). If you want to thicken the hand wash you can add in a pinch of xanthan gum and blend well with a stick/immersion blender. Decant into a pump bottle and enjoy!
SHOP THE TOP INGREDIENTS: lime essential oil, ylang ylang, arrowroot powder, vegetable glycerine
