Lemon Myrtle Essential Oil (Backhousia citriodora)

Overview

Lemon Myrtle may also be referred to as lemon myrtle, lemon scented myrtle, lemon scented ironwood. It is typically processed using steam distilled as a method for extracting oil from the leaves.

Summary

Photo Credit:Backhousia citriodora kz02.jpgbyKrzysztof Ziarnek,Kenraiz. Cropped image. Licensed underCC BY-SA 4.0

Lemon Myrtle Essential Oil is an absolute aromatic delight to lemon lovers. Containing upwards of 96% of the aldehyde citral (geranial and neral), it possesses a clear, strong lemon aroma that far surpassesLemon Essential Oilin lemony intensity.

Essential Facts

  • Aroma Description:

    Citrus Fresh Sweet

  • Common Name(s): lemon myrtle, lemon scented myrtle, lemon scented ironwood
  • Botanical Family: Myrtaceae
  • Botanical Genus: Backhousia
  • Major Compounds: Geranial, Neral, Isogeranial, Isoneral, 6-Methyl-5-hepten-2-one, Linalool
  • Perfumery Note: Top
  • Consistency: Thin
  • Strength of Initial Aroma: Strong
  • Color: Clear to Pale Yellow
  • Indigenous Country: Top
  • Processing Methods: Steam Distilled
  • Part Typically Used: Leaves
  • Vegan Vegan

Essential Details

Benefits & Uses

May be benefitial for addressing the following ailments:

Bad Breath Bronchia Bronchitis Influenza

Therapeutic Benefits of Lemon Myrtle:

Anti-bacterial Anti-fungal Carminative Sedative

Cautions & Safety

Cautions when using Lemon Myrtle:

Tisserand and Young caution that a drug interaction may occur if using drugs metabolized by CYP2B6 and that there is a risk of teratogenicity. They precaution against topical use in children and infants under age 2 and for those with hypersensitive/diseased/damaged skin. They recommend a dermal maximum of 0.7%. 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), 360-361.]

Safety Precautions for Lemon Myrtle:

Do not take any oils internally and do not apply undiluted essential oils, absolutes, CO2s or other concentrated essences onto the skin without advanced essential oil knowledge or consultation from a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. If you are pregnant, epileptic, have liver damage, have cancer, or have any other medical problem, use oils only under the proper guidance of a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. Use extreme caution when using oils with children and be sure to first read the recommended dilution ratios for children. Consult a qualified aromatherapy practitioner before using oils with children, the elderly, if you have medical issues or are taking medications. For in-depth information on oil safety issues, read Essential Oil Safety by Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young.

Articles

Lemon Myrtle Articles or Publications: