Essential Branch

Citrus essential oil

Lemon eucalyptus

Corymbia citriodora

The pale, peeling trunk of a lemon eucalyptus tree with narrow leaves against a clear blue sky.
The pale, peeling trunk of a lemon eucalyptus tree with narrow leaves against a clear blue sky. Photo: Dinesh Valke from Thane, India, CC BY-SA 2.0

Lemon eucalyptus essential oil is steam distilled from the leaves of Corymbia citriodora and has a sweet, lemony, fresh scent that sits as a top note. People often choose it for freshening the air, for cleaning and for an uplifting blend, and it pairs well with lemon, grapefruit, tea tree, eucalyptus, cedarwood and lavender. No maximum skin level has been published, so normal dilution still applies. The main safety point is pets: eucalyptus oil is listed as toxic to dogs and cats, so keep it away from both. When buying, check the label, as this essential oil is not the same product as the refined insect-repellent ingredient sold as "oil of lemon eucalyptus".

Safety at a glance

  • Pregnancy Use with caution
  • Children From age 2
  • Dogs Avoid
  • Cats Avoid
  • Sunlight Not phototoxic
  • On skin No published maximum

Reference

Botanical name Corymbia citriodora
Plant family Myrtaceae
Plant part Leaves
Extraction steam distillation
Main origins Not given in the references we use
Aroma family Citrus
Note Top note
Aroma Sweet, fresh and lemony
Main constituents citronellal, citronellol and isopulegol
Common uses fresh air, cleaning and uplifting
Suggested maximum on skin No published maximum
Phototoxic No
Shelf life once opened 2 to 3 years
Pregnancy Use with caution
Children From age 2
Dogs Avoid
Cats Avoid
Safety notes Tisserand and Young list no known hazards for lemon eucalyptus oil, and it is low in the 1,8-cineole that makes blue gum unsuitable for small children. It is not the same product as the refined insect-repellent ingredient sold as "oil of lemon eucalyptus". It is not on the IFPA pregnancy list. Pet Poison Helpline lists eucalyptus oil as toxic to dogs and cats without naming a species, so we take the stricter view for both.

Blends well with

Sources

  1. Lemon Eucalyptus Essential Oil, AromaWeb. Accessed October 26, 2026
  2. Updates on essential oils, Pet Poison Helpline. Accessed October 26, 2026
  3. Essential oil shelf life (Robert Tisserand's guideline), AromaWeb. Accessed October 26, 2026