Aside from being known as tasty additions to your diet, citrus fruits can also be used for other purposes, including medicine. This is because, aside from being packed with health-supporting vitamins and minerals, citrus fruits are also filled with potent essential oils that have been shown to exhibit healing and therapeutic properties.

But first, what are essential oils?

Essential oils are concentrated aromatic compounds extracted from plants through different processes. These compounds, according to experts, capture the source’s “essence,” such as its natural smell, flavor and beneficial properties.

Once the aromatic compounds from the source — in this case, citrus fruits — have been extracted, they are combined with a neutral carrier oil in order to create a product that’s ready for use.

One such example is the lemon whose essential oil can be used to help ease stress, elevate one’s mood, stimulate the immune system, help alleviate pain, and even promote healthy weight management. Also, lemon essential oil may be used to address conditions such as acne, athlete’s foot, and warts.

Although research on the health effects of the aromatherapeutic use of lemon essential oil is limited, there’s some evidence that lemon essential oil may offer certain benefits:

The essential oil extracted from the orange, on the other hand, is prized for its ability to hinder microbial growth, uplift one’s mood and minimize anxiety, ward off pesky insects, relieve minor aches and pains and even improve one’s physical performance. In addition, orange essential oil is also considered to have potential as an anticancer agent thanks to its potent antioxidant properties.

What makes citrus essential oils so potent?

Citrus essential oils, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Universitat de València and Universidad Politécnica de València in Spain, owe their potency to a combination of volatile compounds called terpenoids.

Terpenoids are chemicals that act as major components of carotenoids and limonoids in citrus fruits, which in turn, are responsible for their coloration, bitterness and aroma.

According to the Spanish study, which was published in the journal Frontiers in Plant Science, these terpenoids were not only detected in the fruits, but also in the plants’ leaves and blossoms.

How can I make my own citrus essential oil?

Essential oil is made using any of the following methods: steam distillation, mechanical expression and solvent expression. Of these, steam distillation is the one that’s most feasible for home use.

Steam distillation works by boiling the herbs and plants until the essential oils separate from the plant and float on the water. One must take note, however, that his method of collecting essential oils does not result in a pure, unadulterated essential oil, which means that the medicinal effects of the oil may be reduced.

Mechanical expression, on the other hand, involves slowly squeezing plant material until the volatile oils come out. These are then collected and bottled. While tedious and time-consuming, this process yields a much purer — and consequently a more potent — oil compared to steam distillation. To successfully do this in a domestic setting, however, one must invest in a good press and filters.

Of the three methods mentioned, solvent distillation is the one that is mostly used for commercial operations, as it involves the use of potentially dangerous chemical solvents that require careful handling.

With that being said, here are some recipes for citrus essential oils that you can try:

Organic Citrus Essential Oil

Ingredients:

• Distilled water
• Three to four cups of fresh lemon or citron rinds, or enough to fill a crockpot halfway

Directions:

1. Place the lemon peels or citron rinds in the crockpot and cover with enough water to fill the crockpot three-fourths of the way. Put the lid on upside down to allow the resulting steam to condense and fall back into the pot.
2. Turn the heat on high. Once the water is hot, turn the heat down to low. Let the mixture simmer for three to four hours.
3. Once all of the plant material is cooked down, turn the heat off and let the mixture cool.
4. Once the mixture has cooled completely, place the crockpot inside the refrigerator. Let the mixture sit inside the fridge for eight hours or overnight.
5. After eight hours, take the crockpot out of the refrigerator. A thin, hard film of oil will form on the top — these are your DIY essential oils. Carefully lift the film off of the water. Make sure you work fast though as it will start to melt quickly.
6. Transfer the oil into a colored glass container. Label contents well and store in a cool, dark place.

In case a small amount of watery liquid remains on the bottom, gently heat the oil to drive the water off. Don’t heat the oil for too long, however, as excess heat can make the oil lose its potency.

Orange Essential Oil

• 100 ml vodka or other strong, neutral alcohol
• 50 ml filtered, distilled water
• The peels of four to five organic oranges

Directions:

1. Wash the orange peels and then dry them with a cloth. Remove and discard the pith or the white part.
2. Chop the peels into pieces and place them in a sterile bottle or another similar container.
3. Add the water and vodka. Add one part of water for every two parts of vodka until the bottle is filled.
4. Close the bottle and shake it for a minute or two. Put a label on it and keep it in a dark and cool place for about a week.
5. Shake the jar a couple of times during the first few days. This will ensure that the aromatic oils are extracted properly by the alcohol.
6. Once a week has passed, remove the peel, strain the mixture and transfer the oil to a clean, sterile bottle.

If you are avoiding any alcohol, you can easily substitute the vodka with olive or other vegetable oils. Take note, however, that alcohol generally dissolves and extracts more nutrients than vegetable oils. This means that essential oils extracted using vegetable oils may be slightly milder when compared to oils extracted using vodka.

TIPS:

• Make sure that you only use plants that have not been exposed to chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides or synthetic fertilizers. This is because when using steam distillation, these chemicals will seep out and spoil the oils that you collect.
• Always inspect the plant matter that you will use for making essential oils. You have to make sure that they are free of molds, fungus and diseases.
• Make sure that you chop your plant material before processing them. This will help increase the surface volume and allow more of the volatile oils to escape.

Citrus fruits aren’t just for eating — they’re also potent instruments for holistic healing.

Learn more about natural remedies that can help boost your health at EssentialOils.news.

Sources include:

NCBI.NLLM.NIH.gov

HealthLine.com

FrontiersIn.org