Lime Organic Distilled Essential Oil from Sri Lanka

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Lime Organic Distilled Essential Oil from Sri Lanka

Batch: E1001420

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Other common names: Persian lime, Key lime, West Indian lime

Latin name: Citrus x aurantifolia

Botanical family: Rutaceae

Method of extraction: distillation

Plant part used to extract the oil: crushed fruits

Cultivation method: certified organic

Area of origin: native to tropical Southeast Asia; our oil comes from Sri Lanka

Historical notes:

The English word “lime” was derived, via Spanish than French, from the Arabic word ليمة “līma”, which is, in turn, a derivation of the Persian word “limu” لیمو

The Latin name for the specie – ‘aurantifolia’ - indicates it is an orange tree-leaved plant (‘auranti’ – orange tree; ‘folia’ – leaf).

Lime is thought to have originated from Northern India and Myanmar from which it was brought (together with lemon and sour orange) to Persia, Palestine, Egypt and Europe by the Arabs.  Limes are also found in the jungles of tropical central and northern South America – some suggest that they must have come to the area via the Pacific Islands with the Polynesians. Spanish and Portuguese explorers are credited with bringing limes to America around the 16^th century, at the time when concentrated lime juice was carried on all British ships to help prevent scurvy.

Biochemical group: monoterpene

Main chemical constituents: limonene, γ- terpinene, terpinolene, α-terpineol, β-pinene, α-terpinene, p-cymene, 1,8-cineole, α-pinene, myrcene,  γ-terpineol, β-bisabolene, α-farnesene, camphene, α-bergamotene, borneol, terpinene-1-ol-4, fenchol, β-caryophyllene, sabinene, others

Colour:  pale yellow 

Consistency: thin

Aroma strength: medium

Perfumery note: top

Aroma: fresh, citrusy, sharp, sweet and slightly tart

Traditional Aromatherapy Uses:      

Traditionally in aromatherapy treatments lime is associated with the following therapeutic properties: antidepressant, antimicrobial, antiseptic, antiviral, anxiolytic, astringent, bactericidal, carminative, chemoprotective, digestive, disinfectant, febrifuge, haemostatic, hepatobiliary stimulant, insecticidal, lymphatic stimulant, tonic, stimulant (tired mind), uplifting

Qualified aromatherapists may use lime essential oil for common complaints such as:

• respiratory issues, such as flu, cold, throat infections
• digestive system - supports liver, digestive problems
• lymphatic system - fluid retentions, cellulite
• nervous and psychological issues – depressive moods, feeling ‘blue’; considered to be very stimulating and activating – apathy, anxiety, depression – mental fogginess and fatigue, poor concentration
• skin care - it is often used in products for oily skin, acne and shaving rashes
• others

How we use it:

Inhalation / Vaporisation:

- Vaporise a couple of drops or use in an aroma inhaler for mental fatigue - try blended with lemon, ginger, basil, rosemary or peppermint

- Varporise a few drops of lime or use in an aroma inhaler for stress and stress-related issues such as anxiety, and nervous tension - try blended with bergamot, sweet orange, mandarin, neroli, lemon, lavender, geranium, frankincense, sandalwood or ylang-ylang.

Skin applications:

- For fluid retention or cellulite – try blending with grapefruit or juniper berry

- For relief of indigestion – try blended with cardamom, coriander seed, ginger, sweet, fennel, sweet orange or peppermint

- For skin preparation for oily skin prone to acne – try combining with lavender, geranium or palmarosa

Please, also see our How to Use Essential Oils Safely page for more information

Safety considerations:

Please note, there are two types of lime essential oil available – expressed and distilled – safety considerations differ depending on the method of production.

Expressed Lime Essential Oil is phototoxic. Tisserand and Young recommend a dermal maximum of 0.7% for the expressed oil to avoid the risk of a phototoxic reaction.

Steam distilled Lime Oil is not phototoxic.

Tisserand and Young caution to avoid topical use of Lime Essential Oil, regardless of method of distillation, if it has oxidized.

Reading Tisserand and Young's full profile is recommended. [Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young, Essential Oil Safety (Second Edition. United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2014), 87, 336-338.]

Please, also see our How to Use Essential Oils Safely page for more information.