Benefits and Uses of Grapefruit Essential Oil
You can’t mistake the sweet, awakening scent of grapefruit. Its freshness and energy enhancing qualities are present from that very first sniff. For this reason, grapefruit essential oil is often used in products such as lotions, shampoos, body washes, and candles to enliven and invigorate its user.. But did you know that the essence of grapefruit offers much more than just a deliciously, invigorating scent? In fact, it’s one of the most powerful essential oils that exists. Check out just a few of grapefruit essential oil’s top benefits and uses:
Stimulates the metabolism
Grapefruit essential oil is perhaps best known as a body stimulant. In the same way its strong, lively scent can invigorate your mind, grapefruit oil has the power to stimulate your body’s metabolism.
It acts by stimulating your endocrine glands (which produce hormones) and by regulating the proper secretion of your body’s natural enzymes. The power it has over the endocrine glands helps to keep your metabolism in proper working order, which, in turn, helps you feel lighter, more alert, and less sluggish.
Helps with weight loss
By stimulating your metabolism, the body is more easily able to lose weight. However, this metabolism boost is not the only way that grapefruit oil can help you shed unwanted fat. More important, grapefruit oil helps curb cravings for sugar and keeps strong appetites in check. In fact, many people who are trying to lose weight will purposely diffuse grapefruit oil before a meal to reduce the possibility of overeating.
Possesses natural disinfecting properties
If you want to stop using chemical-laden cleaning products to clean the surfaces in your household, consider grapefruit essential oil your new best friend. To make a grapefruit oil surface cleanser, simply add one to two drops to a spray bottle that contains one part white vinegar and four parts water. The natural vinegar in the spray has antibacterial properties, which become even more powerful by the disinfectant properties in the grapefruit oil. Furthermore, the delicious scent of the grapefruit will help cover the unpleasant smell of the vinegar, which can become somewhat noisome when lingering throughout your home.
Stimulates the immune system
Medical experts posit that free radicals in our bodies may be among the primary causes to some serious illnesses such as cancer. Free radicals can be contracted from natural processes in the body, from the breakdown of certain medications, and from toxic chemicals and airborne pollutants. Getting rid of free radicals and keeping them at bay should be a priority for everyone. Fortunately, antioxidants present in some natural products like grapefruit oil can stimulate your immune system to fight off free radicals that may cause serious disease.
Helps with depression
The natural, uplifting effect of grapefruit can help those who struggle with depression. Many people who have a propensity for feeling sluggish and down — both physically and mentally — will find that adding a few drops of grapefruit essential oil to their oil diffuser can, almost instantaneously, revive their outlook and stimulate in them a more positive attitude.
Eliminate acne and rosacea
You’ll find grapefruit essential oil in a number of face washes and creams created to eliminate acne. Grapefruit oil can increase the pH levels in the skin, and, in turn, this can help keep excess oil and breakouts at bay.
Grapefruit oil can also help those who struggle with rosacea. Because grapefruit has natural antibacterial properties, it can help eliminate the strain of bacteria that is associated with rosacea. To use, add a few drops to a non-comedogenic carrier oil (one that won’t clog pores) like jojoba oil, and apply it to your skin every night before bed.
Makes a great antiseptic
Finally, grapefruit oil makes an excellent antiseptic for small cuts, wounds, and bruises. Because it has antibacterial and antiseptic properties, it can protect these small wounds from microbial infections and from becoming septic or developing tetanus.
A note on proper use and safety
When using grapefruit essential oil, or using any essential oil, on the skin, it is important to always dilute it with a carrier oil. The reason this is so necessary is because essential oils are powerful and using them without diluting them can damage the skin. There are numerous carrier oils that are great for diluting essential oils. Sweet almond, jojoba, rosehip, argan, and coconut oil are among the most commonly used carrier oils. An added benefit to using a carrier oil is that most of them are healthy and moisturizing for the skin.
Certain safety precautions should also be taken into consideration when using any essential oil on the skin. Like other oils, grapefruit oil can cause skin irritation, even when diluted, so it should be used with caution at first. Grapefruit oil, like many citrus-based oils, can sometimes also cause skin irritation when used just prior to sun exposure. It is always a good idea to do a patch test first to see how your skin will react to the oil. Finally, pregnant women should talk to their doctors before using grapefruit oil.
Grapefruit: The “Forbidden Fruit”
Grapefruit carries its current name because of the way it grows: in clusters similar to those of grapes. In Barbados and Jamaica, where it grows natively, grapefruit has also been known as “the forbidden fruit,” most likely because long ago people found the fruit to carry a bitter, sour taste that wasn’t too appealing.
Today, however, grapefruit is anything but “forbidden.” It’s coveted as a delectable fruit. It’s delicious when eaten plain, delightful when made into a juice, and highly beneficial when used as an essential oil.
If you’d like to take advantage of all the goodness that grapefruit has to offer, consider purchasing a bottle of grapefruit essential oil for yourself. You’ll receive all the wonderful benefits listed above, and of course, grapefruit is forever the perfect scent to uplift and energize your day.