Citrus essential oil
Lime
Citrus aurantifolia
Lime oil comes from the peel of the small Key or Mexican lime, Citrus aurantifolia, and smells sharp, green and zesty. It is sold in two forms: cold pressed, which smells like fresh zest, and steam distilled, which smells softer and sweeter. The pressed oil is strongly phototoxic and can burn sun-exposed skin, which is why its skin limit is low, while the distilled oil is not phototoxic. Both are popular in focus and fresh-home blends and pair naturally with grapefruit, mint and ginger. Like all citrus oils, lime is best used within a year or two of opening.
Safety at a glance
- Pregnancy Generally well tolerated
- Children From age 2
- Dogs Use with caution
- Cats Avoid
- Sunlight Phototoxic on skin
- On skin Up to 0.7%
Reference
| Botanical name | Citrus aurantifolia |
|---|---|
| Plant family | Rutaceae |
| Plant part | Fruit peel |
| Extraction | cold pressing |
| Main origins | Mexico and Peru |
| Aroma family | Citrus |
| Note | Top note |
| Aroma | Zesty, sharp green lime |
| Main constituents | limonene, gamma-terpinene, beta-pinene, geranial and neral |
| Common uses | focus, uplifting, fresh air and cleaning |
| Suggested maximum on skin | 0.7% of the blend |
| Phototoxic | Yes: keep treated skin out of strong sunlight |
| Shelf life once opened | 1 to 2 years |
| Pregnancy | Generally well tolerated |
| Children | From age 2 |
| Dogs | Use with caution |
| Cats | Avoid |
| Safety notes | Cold-pressed lime is strongly phototoxic: keep skin blends at 0.7% or less, or keep that skin out of sun and tanning beds for 24 hours; steam-distilled lime is not phototoxic. Lime is not named on the IFPA pregnancy list, but we treat it like the citrus oils that are. Citrus oils are on Pet Poison Helpline's list of oils toxic to cats. |
Blends well with
Used in: Essential Oil Blends for Focus, Essential Oil Blends for a Fresh Home
Sources
- Essential Oil Safety: A Guide for Health Care Professionals, 2nd edition (Tisserand & Young), Churchill Livingstone / Elsevier
- IFRA Standard: Citrus oils and other furocoumarins containing essential oils (Amendment 49), International Fragrance Association (IFRA)
- Safety, National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA)
- Updates on essential oils, Pet Poison Helpline