Lemon essential oil
Sniffing lemon essential oil eased nausea in several small trials, including nausea in pregnancy and after surgery, but the trials are small and low to moderate quality, so the evidence is limited. On skin it is the opposite of harmless: cold-pressed lemon oil contains furocoumarins that cause phototoxic burns in sunlight, and the fragrance industry caps it at 2% in leave-on products for sun-exposed skin.
We found no trials for skin, hair or cleaning, and the oil should not be swallowed or used undiluted.
At a glance
Last reviewed 10 October 2026What it's used for
Evidence is rated per use. The same ingredient can be strong for one thing and traditional for another.
| Use | Evidence | What the research shows |
|---|---|---|
| Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy (inhaled)Compare remedies for women’s health → | Limited | In a double-blind trial of 100 pregnant women, inhaling lemon oil as soon as nausea began gave lower nausea and vomiting scores than a placebo on day 2 (p = 0.017) and day 4 (p = 0.039) of treatment. A 2026 systematic review of five lemon-oil studies found most reported reductions, but rated methodological quality low to moderate and cited small samples and potential bias.3,4 |
| Nausea after surgery (inhaled)Compare remedies for digestion → | Limited | In 90 people after leg-fracture surgery, lemon inhalation every two hours lowered nausea, vomiting and retching scores and the use of anti-sickness drugs compared with no aromatherapy (p = 0.001 for nausea and vomiting). It was a single-centre trial, and scent cannot be hidden from people who can smell it, so expectation may explain part of the effect.8 |
| Anxiety and mood (inhaled)Compare remedies for stress and anxiety → | Limited | Results are mixed. In 100 heart-attack patients, three days of lemon inhalation lowered anxiety and systolic blood pressure on day 4 compared with a paraffin control. In 45 women in labour, lemon oil cut pain scores but had no effect on anxiety scores (p = 0.750 before, 0.663 during). We found no larger trial of lemon oil for everyday stress or low mood.5,6 |
| Skin careCompare remedies for skin → | Traditional | We found no clinical trial of lemon oil for acne, oily skin or any other skin condition. What is documented is harm: lemon oil is phototoxic, and it is a recognised skin allergen, especially once oxidised.1,2,7 |
| Hair and scalpCompare remedies for hair & nails → | Traditional | We found no trial of lemon oil for hair growth, shine or dandruff. Putting the cold-pressed oil on the scalp and then going in the sun carries the same phototoxic risk as on other skin.1,2 |
| Household cleaning (limonene solvent) | Traditional | Limonene, the main component of lemon oil, is used as a degreasing solvent in industry, but the source we read is an occupational one: a NIOSH investigation of workers using a limonene-based degreaser found skin dryness and possible contact dermatitis, and calls limonene a skin irritant and sensitiser. We found no study testing lemon essential oil as a household disinfectant, so do not assume it kills germs.1,10 |
How much
Ranges below are what studies used and what supplements commonly contain. They are not a recommendation for you. Start at the low end.
How people take it
Safety
Who should avoid
- Cold-pressed lemon oil on skin before sun or sunbeds — phototoxic burns
- Undiluted oil on skin — limonene is an irritant and an allergen
- Swallowing the essential oil — the trials were of inhaled scent only
- Old, oxidised oil on skin — oxidised limonene is a recognised contact allergen
- Pregnancy and children — we found no safety data for skin use or swallowing
Known interactions
Questions people ask
What are the benefits of lemon essential oil?
The best-supported use is sniffing it for nausea. Several small trials, in pregnancy and after surgery, found lower nausea scores, though a 2026 review rated the quality of the pregnancy trials low to moderate. Results for anxiety are mixed, and we found no trials for skin, hair or cleaning.
Is lemon essential oil safe on the skin?
Only with care. Cold-pressed lemon oil contains oxypeucedanin and bergapten, which cause phototoxic reactions in sunlight, and lemon oils were phototoxic in animal tests. The industry standard is 2% in leave-on products for sun-exposed skin. Patch-test first, dilute it, and keep the skin out of the sun afterwards.
Is lemon oil good for your skin or hair?
We found no clinical trial showing that it helps either. Its documented effects on skin are sun sensitivity and, for some people, allergy, so it is not a sensible choice for a face or scalp oil before time outdoors.
What are the side effects of lemon essential oil, and is it the same as lemon extract?
The main side effects are phototoxic burns in sunlight, skin irritation and allergy, especially from old oxidised oil. Lemon extract for cooking is a different product, made by steeping zest in alcohol, and it is covered in our guide to making lemon extract.
Sources (10)
- Safety assessment (industry panel, draft) Cosmetic Ingredient Review. Safety Assessment of Citrus-Derived Ingredients as Used in Cosmetics: Scientific Literature Review for Public Comment. 2013.
- Laboratory study Naganuma M, Hirose S, Nakayama Y, Nakajima K, Someya T. A study of the phototoxicity of lemon oil. Arch Dermatol Res. 1985.
- Randomised trial Yavari Kia P, Safajou F, Shahnazi M, Nazemiyeh H. 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.
- Systematic review Rafiei Z, Radkhah N, Dehghan P, Karimi E. The Effect of Lemon Aromatherapy on Nausea and Vomiting During Pregnancy: A Systematic Review. J Midwifery Womens Health. 2026.
- Randomised trial Rambod M, Rakhshan M, Tohidinik S, Nikoo MH. The effect of lemon inhalation aromatherapy on blood pressure, electrocardiogram changes, and anxiety in acute myocardial infarction patients: A clinical, multi-centered, assessor-blinded trial design. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2020.
- Randomised trial Sirkeci I, Cagan O, Koc S. The effect of ylang oil and lemon oil inhalation on labor pain and anxiety pregnant women: A randomized controlled trial. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2023.
- Patch-test study Botvid S, Søgaard R, Schwensen JFB, Johansen JD. Ten Years of Patch Testing to Hydroperoxides of Limonene and Linalool: Prevalence, Patterns and Clinical Insights. Contact Dermatitis. 2026.
- Randomised trial Rambod M, Pasyar N, Karimian Z, Farbood A. The effect of lemon inhalation aromatherapy on pain, nausea, as well as vomiting and neurovascular assessment in patients for lower extremity fracture surgery: a randomized trial. BMC Complement Med Ther. 2023.
- Laboratory and human patch study Kejlová K, Jírová D, Bendová H, Gajdoš P, Kolářová H. Phototoxicity of essential oils intended for cosmetic use. Toxicol In Vitro. 2010.
- Occupational health evaluation NIOSH. Health Hazard Evaluation Report HETA 92-0101-2341, Robins Air Force Base, Warner Robins, Georgia (d-limonene-based cleaning solvents). 1993.
Last reviewed 10 October 2026 · Next review April 2027 · How we rate evidence
Reader notes
Experiences and questions from readers, read by an editor before they appear. They are personal accounts, not evidence, and are not medical advice.