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:
- 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
Citrus
Fresh
Sweet-
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
CarminativeCautions & 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:
- PubMed: Antimicrobial activity of essential oils and five terpenoid compounds against Campylobacter jejuni in pure and mixed culture experiments.
- PubMed: Effect of packaging materials and storage on major volatile compounds in three Australian native herbs.
- PubMed: Composition of native Australian herbs polyphenolic-rich fractions and in vitro inhibitory activities against key enzymes relevant to metabolic syndrome.
- PubMed: Cytoprotective and pro-apoptotic activities of native Australian herbs polyphenolic-rich extracts.
- PubMed: Molecular cloning and characterization of a linalool synthase from lemon myrtle.
- PubMed: Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of geraniol dehydrogenase from Backhousia citriodora (lemon myrtle).
- PubMed: Evaluation of commercial essential oil samples on the growth of postharvest pathogen Monilinia fructicola (G. Winter) Honey.
- PubMed: Interventions for cutaneous molluscum contagiosum.
- PubMed: Authenticity control of essential oils containing citronellal and citral by chiral and stable-isotope gas-chromatographic analysis.
- PubMed: Effect of essential oil concentration on the pH of nutrient and Iso-sensitest broth.
- PubMed: Essential oil of Australian lemon myrtle (Backhousia citriodora) in the treatment of molluscum contagiosum in children.
- PubMed: Toxicity of Australian essential oil Backhousia citriodora (lemon myrtle). Part 2. Absorption and histopathology following application to human skin.
- PubMed: Bioactivity of Backhousia citriodora: antibacterial and antifungal activity.
- PubMed: Toxicity of Australian essential oil Backhousia citriodora (Lemon myrtle). Part 1. Antimicrobial activity and in vitro cytotoxicity.