Whether you use it in salad dressings, for body treatments, or as a cleaning product, lemon oil is always an economical and eco-friendly choice. HomeQuicks gives you steps on how to make lemon oil at home without a lot of fuss.
Antioxidant Love
Get a huge dose of free radical-fighting antioxidant vitamin C from lemons. Also, it helps keep your skin even-toned and wrinkle-free.
When life gives you lemons, you have the option of making lemon oil at home. Infusing lemon with oil is incredibly versatile because of its uses. Instead of purchasing expensive lemon essential oil from stores, make a milder version at home with some herbs and spices. Keeping that in mind, we have put together a few recipes that might come in handy around the house.
Homemade Lemon Oil
In the following section, we will go over 4 different recipes to prepare the oil. Follow the recipe depending on what you find convenient, and how and where you wish to utilize the oil.
Hot Process Method
Recipe #1
♦ Get 3 – 4 fully ripe, organic lemons and wash it under cold running water. Use a clean cloth to pat it dry.
♦ You can either use a vegetable peeler to cut thin slivers off, or a zester to remove lemon zest. Either way, make sure you don’t take the bitter white pith of the lemons.
♦ In a non-stick pot, place the lemon peels in and pour enough coconut oil to barely cover the surface.
♦ Turn the heat on at low and simmer the oil for about 5 minutes.
♦ Place the pot aside for a few hours so that the oil takes in the lemon flavor.
♦ Strain the oil in a clean, airtight mason jar or bottle and store it in a dark cabinet or fridge.
Recipe #2
♦ Take 5 organic lemons, and follow steps 1 – 2 from the above recipe.
♦ Prepare a double boiler. To do so, you need to fill a saucepan with water and place it on the stove to boil.
♦ In a non-stick pot, place the lemon peels and pour 1 cup oil on top; you can use sweet almond oil, coconut oil, macadamia oil, or grape seed oil.
♦ Place the pot over the saucepan, making sure that the water doesn’t touch the base of the pot.
♦ On a low heat, let the lemon peels infuse the oil for about 3 hours.
♦ After this, strain the oil into a clean, airtight mason jar or bottle. Squeeze the lemon peels to extract as much oil as possible.
♦ Store the oil in a cool, dark place.
Use either of these recipes to make …
♦ coconut oil body butter by whipping ½ cup coconut oil until it softens and then add 15 drops of lemon oil to get a smooth mixture.
♦ body scrub by mixing 3 – 4 cups Epsom salt, 2 cups lemon oil, and ⅔ cup honey.
♦ all-purpose cleaner by mixing ½ cup water, ½ cup distilled white vinegar, and 15 – 20 drops lemon oil.
Cold Process Method
Recipe #3
♦ Get 3 – 4 fully ripe, organic lemons and wash it under cold running water. Use a clean cloth to pat it dry.
♦ You can either use a vegetable peeler to cut thin slivers off, or a zester to remove lemon zest. Either way, make sure you don’t take the bitter white pith of the lemons.
♦ Add the peels in a clean, airtight mason jar or bottle and pour enough coconut or olive oil to cover it properly.
♦ Close the jar and place it in a sunny window for about 1 – 2 weeks, shaking it every day.
♦ After that, strain the oil into another jar and store it in a dark, cool place or the fridge.
Use this recipe to …
♦ use it as furniture polish by dabbing some oil on a clean cloth.
♦ make a salad dressing by whisking 1 cup lemon oil, ⅓ cup chopped thyme, 2 tsp. rosemary, and a pinch of red pepper flakes together.
♦ make skin brightening scrub by mixing ⅓ cup lemon oil, ⅔ cup Epsom salt, and a few drops of essential oil.
There are many other ways you can use lemon oil, such as in the dishwasher, as a scented humidifier, etc.; the fragrance of the oil can liven any room. Now you know that instead of throwing away the lemon peels, you can use it to for so many different purposes.