Lemon Oil
Lemon essential oil, sun sensitivity, skin and poison-center cautions, and what small scent trials found for mood and nausea, in plain language.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
Safety first. Supplements can cause side effects and interact with medicines. Read mushroom safety and interactions before you use any mushroom product.
Safety first. Pressed lemon oil can make skin react badly to sunlight (phototoxicity). The FDA notes that certain citrus oils used safely in food can be harmful in cosmetics, particularly on skin exposed to the sun. [1] Do not swallow essential oil or add it to drinks. If someone has swallowed any essential oil, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222; call 911 for collapse, a seizure or trouble breathing. [2] More in Phototoxicity: citrus oils and sunlight and Essential oil poisoning: what to do first.
What lemon oil is
Lemon oil is an essential oil from the lemon. The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) lists the accepted plant name as Citrus × limon (L.) Osbeck, family Rutaceae. [3] Pressed (expressed) lemon oil is what the safety studies below describe. How oils are made is explained in How essential oils are made. This page is information only and does not recommend using any oil.Phototoxicity and sun
A 1985 laboratory study found that lemon oil contains furocoumarins and is known to cause phototoxicity; two of them, oxypeucedanin and bergapten, accounted for essentially all of the phototoxic activity in the samples tested. [4] The amounts varied by more than 20-fold between oils from different regions. [4] That means one bottle cannot be assumed to behave like another.A 2021 European Food Safety Authority panel opinion (written about animal feed additives) noted that expressed lemon oil and its fractions contain furocoumarins and may cause phototoxicity, and that these additives are irritants to skin, eyes and airways and skin sensitisers. [5]
Pressed (cold-pressed or "expressed") and distilled oils are not the same. A German food-safety commission reported that distilled and cold-pressed citrus oils differ in furanocoumarin levels, and that no furanocoumarins were found in distilled oils. [6] That finding comes from a food-safety assessment, so check the label and ask a pharmacist or clinician before assuming any particular bottle is safe on skin. See Reading an essential oil label.
Skin irritation, allergy and oxidized oil
Limonene is a common fragrance ingredient that readily oxidizes on exposure to air. [7] In a US patch-test study of 103 people with suspected fragrance allergy, 8% (7 of 90 tested) reacted to hydroperoxides of limonene, the oxidized form. [7] A larger retrospective clinic study of 5,773 patients with dermatitis found contact allergy to oxidized limonene in 5.1%. [8] These were people already being tested for skin problems, so the figures do not describe the general public. Poison Control also says allergy to an essential oil is a very real possibility. [2] Old, air-exposed oil is more likely to be a problem; see Storing essential oils and Patch testing and what to do after a reaction.What research shows
Most lemon trials are small, short, hard to blind (people can smell what they are given) and use self-reported scores. Findings for inhaled scent, massage and skin application are different things and do not transfer to each other.| Question | What the source found | Strength of evidence | Population and form studied |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mood and stress | An NCCIH summary describes one study comparing lemon and lavender scents in people under stress: lemon improved mood, but neither scent changed stress indicators, immune markers or pain control. [9] | Limited | People under stress; inhaled scent |
| Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy | A double-blinded randomized trial of 100 pregnant women found lower nausea and vomiting scores on days 2 and 4 with lemon scent than with placebo. [10] | Promising but limited | Pregnant women with nausea; inhaled |
| Menopausal symptoms | A double-blinded trial of 63 women reported lower symptom scores after a hand and arm massage with lemon oil diluted in sweet almond oil (1.5%), twice a week for 4 weeks. [11] | Promising but limited | Menopausal women; diluted oil in massage |
| Anxiety (general) | A network meta-analysis of 44 randomized trials reported lemon among oils with a larger reduction in trait anxiety scores, with wide uncertainty ranges. [12] | Promising but limited (indirect comparisons) | Adults with anxiety; mixed forms |
| Disease treatment, immunity, "detox" | Proper evidence not found. We looked at NCCIH, FDA and PubMed trial and review records for lemon oil and did not find human trials showing treatment of any disease. | No good evidence | Not applicable |
In plain terms: some small trials report feeling better after lemon scent, but the studies cannot tell us how much is the smell being pleasant or the expectation of help. The pregnancy trial is a reason to read about oils in pregnancy, not a recommendation.
Frequently asked questions
Does lemon oil make skin sensitive to the sun?
Yes, pressed lemon oil contains furocoumarins that are known to cause phototoxicity. [4] A food-safety commission found none in distilled citrus oils, but you cannot tell which kind is in a bottle without the label and maker's information. [6]
Can I put lemon oil in water to drink?
We do not advise it. Poison Control says to call a poison center (1-800-222-1222 in the US) if someone swallows an essential oil. [2] Aspiration can cause pneumonia. [2]
Is there good proof lemon oil helps nausea or anxiety?
Not proof. A randomized trial of pregnant women reported lower nausea scores with lemon scent, and meta-analyses of aromatherapy trials report anxiety benefits, but trials are small and self-reported. [10] [12]
Is lemon oil the same as lemon juice or lemon peel?
No. Findings for the fruit, juice or peel do not carry over to the oil, and the trials on this page tested the oil only.
What should I do after a skin reaction?
Poison Control says to stop using the product, gently wash it off, and treat any reaction with difficulty breathing as an emergency. [2] See Patch testing and what to do after a reaction.
More details: evidence, limits and cautions
The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.
Safety by group
- Medicines: The sources we read for this page do not describe interactions between lemon oil used on skin or inhaled and medicines. That is not proof there are none. See How interactions work and ask a pharmacist.
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding, babies and children: Poison Control notes that children have thin skin and immature livers, which might make them more susceptible to toxic effects than adults. [2] Read Essential oils around babies and children and ask a clinician before using any oil.
- Swallowing and drinks: We do not advise swallowing lemon oil or adding it to water. Poison Control says an essential oil that is aspirated (some enters the lungs while swallowing) can cause pneumonia. [2] Lemon oil and orange oil are also common in furniture polish and wood care products, which are not for the body. [2]
- Pets: The ASPCA lists the lemon plant as toxic to dogs, cats and horses, with essential oils and psoralens named as the toxic principles; this entry is about the plant, fruit skins and plant material rather than diffusers. [13] See Essential oils and pets.
- Surgery: Tell the surgical team about any oils or supplements you use. See Before surgery.
- Quality: Labels do not prove purity or safety; see Essential oil purity and adulteration.
References
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Aromatherapy. Read 2026-10-23.
- Poison Control (National Capital Poison Center). Essential oils: Poisonous when misused. Read 2026-10-23.
- GBIF Secretariat. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy: species name matching for Citrus limon, C. bergamia, C. x aurantium, C. sinensis, C. x paradisi, C. x aurantiifolia, C. reticulata. Read 2026-10-23.
- A study of the phototoxicity of lemon oil. Arch Dermatol Res. 1985 (abstract read via PubMed). Read 2026-10-23.
- EFSA FEEDAP Panel. Safety and efficacy of feed additives consisting of expressed lemon oil and its fractions from Citrus limon and of lime oil from Citrus aurantiifolia for use in all animal species. EFSA Journal. 2021 (abstract read via PubMed). Read 2026-10-23.
- Senate Commission on Food Safety (SKLM), German Research Foundation. Update of the toxicological assessment of furanocoumarins in foodstuffs. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2011 (abstract read via PubMed). Read 2026-10-23.
- Contact Allergy to Hydroperoxides of Linalool and D-Limonene in a US Population. Dermatitis. 2017 (abstract read via PubMed). Read 2026-10-23.
- Contact allergy to oxidized linalool and oxidized limonene: Patch testing in consecutive patients with dermatitis. Contact Dermatitis. 2022 (abstract read via PubMed). Read 2026-10-23.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH). Aromatherapy. Last updated January 2020. Read 2026-10-23.
- The effect of lemon inhalation aromatherapy on nausea and vomiting of pregnancy: a double-blinded, randomized, controlled clinical trial. Iran Red Crescent Med J. 2014 (abstract read via PubMed). Read 2026-10-23.
- The effect of aromatherapy massage with lemon and peppermint essential oil on menopausal symptoms: A double-blinded, randomized placebo controlled clinical trial. Explore (NY). 2024 (abstract read via PubMed). Read 2026-10-23.
- Essential oils for treating anxiety: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials and network meta-analysis. Front Public Health. 2023 (abstract read via PubMed). Read 2026-10-23.
- ASPCA. Toxic and Non-toxic Plants: Lemon. Read 2026-10-23.