Latin Name: Citrus X Paradisi

Everyone loves Sweet Orange essential oils for their scent, everyone uses Lemon essential oils for cleaning and disinfecting, but the best-known secret of the citrus oils is Pink Grapefruit essential oil. Known for its sweeter and more distinct aroma than its White Grapefruit cousin, Pink Grapefruit oil has a larger portfolio of benefits, both mental and physical.

One of its best-known traits revolves around its reported ability to suppress one’s appetite. Several studies can be found online, in journals, and in books but one particular study found that rats exposed to the scent of grapefruit essential oil for 15 minutes just 3 times a week experienced reductions in appetite , food intake, and body weight (*1 National Institute of Health).

Another study showed that the scent of grapefruit essential oil increased activity in the gastric vagal nerve in rodents, which resulted in the lowering their appetite. This nerve plays an important role in stimulating the production of stomach juices that are needed for digestion. This same study also examined the effects of the scent of limonene, a significant component of grapefruit essential oil. The aroma and inhaling of limonene had similar results on appetite suppression and food intake (*2 National Institute of Health). Although these results are promising, they’re limited to animal studies; further research on the effects of grapefruit essential oil in humans is needed.

Another reported benefit of Grapefruit essential oil involves the mood balancing effects experienced through aromatherapy. A growing trend involves the use of alternative and natural remedies to treat anxiety, depression, and other mood-altering ailments. Studies suggest that the same compounds found in other citrus oils known for their uplifting abilities can be found in grapefruit essential oil as well (i.e. limonene).

Grapefruit essential oil is also known for its antibacterial and antimicrobial effects. Test-tube studies show that it displayed effectiveness against potentially harmful and bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Escherichia coli (*3 National Institute of Health). One study comparing five essential oils found that grapefruit essential oil was one of the most powerful regarding its antimicrobial effects against MRSA, a group of bacteria that’s usually harder to treat; it’s often resistant to common antibiotics.

Finally, Grapefruit essential oil may contribute to healthy skin by preventing and treating skin conditions such as acne. We see how many brands of face lotions and creams include citrus essential oils because of their refreshing scent and potent antibacterial and antioxidant activity. These oils could help keep your skin bacteria-free, which may promote the acne healing process.

Citations:

*1: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15862904
*2: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25002406
*3: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4670656/