
Guys, can I gush about doTERRA’s Lemon essential oil for a minute? I know, I know – when most people talk about love, they aren’t referring to an essential oil. (What can I say? I’m weird. What else is new?) But honestly, I really and truly love doTERRA Lemon essential oil!
Among doTERRA’s top essential oil products, we find a number of powerhouse oils that are beloved for being both potent and versatile, and Lemon oil is definitely one of them. Personally, doTERRA Lemon essential oil is one of my default go-to oils, because it really is such a jack-of-all-trades.
My number one reason for using doTERRA Lemon essential oil? Bacteria. Not what you thought, right? Well, it turns out that Lemon oil and bacteria don’t mix well, and, well… when they come into conflict, let’s just say that doTERRA Lemon essential oil is undefeated. (Recall that I’m a mother of four kids. The stories I could tell about my many wars with bacteria… maybe now you get why my love of Lemon oil is so fierce!)
Beyond being a worthy opponent to all manner of different bacteria (and having those germs quaking in their tiny little boots!), doTERRA Lemon oil has such a diverse range of uses that are so simple and straightforward. From cleaning to seasoning to remedying seasonal discomforts, Lemon oil has a lot going for it. It’s also very inexpensive, especially when you consider just how much this one little oil can do!
I probably use doTERRA Lemon essential oil every single day, multiple times and in multiple ways. It would break my maternal heart to know that some people have this incredible oil just sitting on a shelf, unused or unopened. So I want to share some of the different aromatic, topical, and internal uses of this essential oil with you, so that you can reap the benefits of what this oil has to offer!

How to Use doTERRA Lemon Essential Oil Aromatically
Pretty much any essential oil can be diffused and used aromatically. Let’s be real, though: some essential oils smell much better than others! I don’t mean to discriminate, but facts are facts. (If you disagree, just imagine diffusing Oregano essential oil… the thought alone makes me cringe and wrinkle my nose. Gross!)
While doTERRA Lemon essential oil isn’t one that I diffuse on its own frequently, any citrus oil is great for freshening the air and lifting the atmosphere of a room. Citrus oils are just generally really cheerful oils! So whether you’re wanting to cleanse the air and get rid of some offensive odours (to the moms of teenage boys: I’m thinking sympathetically of you!), or whether you’re wanting to create an indoor atmosphere that’s positive and uplifting, feel free to try adding doTERRA Lemon essential oil to a diffuser, either on its own or together with other citrus oils!
How to Use doTERRA Lemon Essential Oil Topically
1. Create a Natural Cleaning Spray
As I mentioned earlier, doTERRA Lemon essential oil is really great at overpowering bacteria, making it super ideal for all things cleaning related! One great way to use Lemon essential oil is to add it to a natural all purpose cleaner, like a countertop spray. Just remember to add it to a glass or a metal container – anything other than a plastic container – since Lemon essential oil breaks down petrochemicals. I know that sounds intense (and it is pretty wild when you watch it happen), but it is precisely this ability that makes doTERRA’s Lemon essential oil so effective at cleaning and cleansing your home!
Want an easy 3 ingredient all purpose cleaner? Check out this DIY recipe using doTERRA Lemon essential oil!
2. Make a Natural “Goo-Be-Gone”
That brings me to a second great topical use for Lemon oil: using it as a natural “goo-be-gone”. Whether it’s those annoying remnants left behind by the stickers that your kids stuck literally everywhere (please tell me it’s not just my kids?!), or whether it’s something sticky that was left on the car’s rear view mirror way too long, doTERRA’s Lemon essential oil is your new best friend.
I’ll give you an example: One time, my youngest – who was maybe 4 or 5 years old at the time – took his boots off and left them on a heating vent while we were over at a friend’s house. Sometime way before this, he had managed to get some tar stuck to his boots, but it had long since hardened, and we didn’t think twice about it. And yet, to our horror, when we went to leave, the tar had melted off of his boots and was stuck all over our friend’s heating vent. I was absolutely mortified. We tried getting it off, but it was such a mess, and nothing seemed to help. At that moment, I was so demoralized that I wasn’t even confident that doTERRA’s Lemon essential oil would do much. And yet, when I tried getting the tar off with the Lemon oil, it worked! I had faith in doTERRA Lemon essential oil before, but, from that day on, I became a passionate advocate for using Lemon oil in this way! (My only regret is not discovering this sooner. Oh the headaches that this could have saved me as a young mom…!)
3. Remove Those Stubborn Spots and Stains
This may be surprising, but doTERRA Lemon essential oil is also very effective at removing spots or stains, such as on particularly stubborn dirty clothes. Now, while it definitely sounds counterintuitive to add oil – yes, oil – to try to remove a stain, I have personally used doTERRA Lemon essential oil this way, and it’s been quite successful!
However, a word of caution: there is a risk of discolouration, since doTERRA Lemon essential oil has a natural colour tone to it, and you may need to wash the laundry multiple times before signs of the Lemon oil fully fade. If you’re feeling wary of using doTERRA Lemon essential oil this way, I’d encourage you to try it out on a stained dish towel or something similarly unimportant, just to see how it works first before trying it out on some nicer clothes or stained furniture.
4. Natural Furniture Polish
Another way you can use doTERRA Lemon essential oil topically is by combining it with olive oil to make a furniture polish. Just add a small quantity to a cloth or a paper towel, rub it on the hard surfaces of your furniture, and watch them shine! (If you have any left, this all natural furniture polish can double as a salad dressing, so you can use the rest up at lunchtime!)
5. Slow Down That Runny Nose
All the topical uses I’ve listed so far have been about cleaning, so I wanted to make sure that I mentioned a health-related topical use for doTERRA Lemon essential oil. Believe it or not, Lemon oil is highly effective at drying up mucus and slowing down that stubborn runny nose. Simply take a bit of the Lemon oil with your finger and rub it across the bridge of your nose. Trust me: this will be a lifesaver when cold, flu, or allergy season comes around! In fact, doTERRA actually includes Lemon essential oil in its Triease capsules, which are designed to combat all the discomforts that come along with such seasonal sensitivities.
How to Use doTERRA Lemon Essential Oil Internally
1. Add It to Your Drinking Water
First up, one of the top ways that my team, my customers, and I use doTERRA Lemon essential oil is drinking it. The idea of adding lemon to drinking water as a natural way of supporting your liver, your digestion, and your overall health dates back to traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic health remedies. And modern findings support many of these conclusions, showing that drinking Lemon water helps your body detox, digest, lose weight, increase immunity, enhance mood and energy levels, prevent kidney stones, and keep your skin glowing.
My favourite way to get these benefits is to get a cup or a bottle of water (made of anything except plastic, remember!) and add 2-3 drops of doTERRA Lemon essential oil. It’s that easy! Just add the oil and sip! Personally, I love to do this first thing in the morning, so that I can gently wake up my digestive system and get my liver ready for a full day of work.
Fair warning: since the oil floats on top of the surface of the water, you may get more of it as you’re finishing the glass of water. It’s not harmful, just surprising sometimes. You have been warned!
So why doTERRA Lemon essential oil? Why not just add some lemon slices to your water? Well, here’s the thing: because lemon is highly acidic, just adding lemon slices to your water can actually lead to enamel erosion on your teeth. While there are a handful of ways to get the benefits of drinking water without the harms of this enamel erosion – including rinsing your mouth after drinking lemon water or balancing the pH levels with warm water – I think the simplest solution is just replacing lemon juice or lemon slices with doTERRA Lemon essential oil.
While lemon is naturally highly acidic, the technique used to collect and purify doTERRA Lemon essential oil results in there being zero acidity in the oil itself. So you can add those 2-3 drops, drink your lemon water, and get health benefits without worrying about enamel erosion. Sounds like heaven!
2. Spice Up Your Cooking
Because doTERRA Lemon essential oil is 100% pure and safe for internal use, you can actually add it to your cooking and baking! Whether it’s lemon meringue pie or lemon squares or a simple salad dressing – basically, if there is a recipe that calls for Lemon rind or Lemon zest, adding doTERRA Lemon essential oil is a safe substitute, since Lemon oil actually comes from the rind of the lemon! Honestly, there are so many uses for Lemon oil in cooking and baking, and, since you need so little of it, it is very cost-effective. Try it out! (And send me photos of the delicious food you make so that I can live vicariously through you!)
If you want some recipe ideas, check out my blog! I have shared a few different recipes that incorporate doTERRA Lemon essential oil, including a delicious recipe for Creamy Coconut Freezer Pops and Healthy Honey Lollipops. Enjoy trying these refreshing recipes out! And, if you have any special recipes of your own, I’d love to hear them!
Lemon Lovers Unite!
So there you have it! Now you know about a dozen or so easy ways to use doTERRA Lemon essential oil. Don’t let that oil bottle collect dust on your shelf when it can help you clean up that same dust! Remember to ask questions, be creative, and have fun! These oils are here to help you, and so am I. So feel free to reach out if you need some additional tips or tricks, or if you want to share a fun story about how you were able to use doTERRA Lemon essential oil in your day-to-day routine. (I pray that your story won’t involve tar, though!)
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