Lemon Myrtle

Backhousia citriodora

🌿 conventional or organic available

With a  wonderful, uplifting, refreshing lemon aroma, Lemon Myrtle is one of Australia’s newest and most exciting essential oils.

Lemon Myrtle (Backhousia citriodora) is a slow-growing, subtropical flowering plant with a strong lemon scent, native to southeast Queensland, Australia.

Since before 1788, the Australian aboriginals have used lemon myrtle both in food and in medicinal treatments. The antimicrobial properties of the oil were discovered in the 1920’s but the oil wasn’t distributed internationally until the 1990’s. International demand for lemon myrtle is now growing every year.

Boasting the highest level of Citral content (more than the lemon!), it also outshines other species in the antimicrobial qualities. Other minor constituents include myrcene, linalool, and methyl-heptanone. Lemon Myrtle’s leaves are a germicide, showing more potentcy than either eucalyptus or tea tree. With antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory compounds, lemon myrtle is nature’s own sanitiser.

Considering its many diverse uses and effective properties, it is not surprising that it is growing in popularity. Lemon myrtle has 4-7 times the antioxidant value than blueberry. Antioxidants have many uses in the cosmetics and food industries and have been known to slow the aging process by reducing oxidative stress in the body. Lemon myrtle can also be used in a wide range of beauty and body products, in household cleaning products and has a wide range of medicinal uses.  

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  • Studied Properties
  • Common Uses

Studied Properties

The leaves of the Lemon Myrtle contain between 0.33 - 0.86% essential oil consisting almost entirely of citral (90-98%) which is what gives it that lovely and unique lemony aroma. Citral has been shown to exhibit sedative, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties. Lemon Myrtle has very strong antibacterial properties.

A wonderful mood lifter and calming, it's the most antiseptic, antiviral, antifungal of the Australian essential oils.

Lemon Myrtle essential oil is extracted via steam distillation of the leaves and green branchlets and the oil is a clear to amber yellow colour.

Because of its high citral content, lemon myrtle is used for a wide variety of medicinal purposes too.

Common Uses

A truly wonderful, uplifting, refreshing lemon aroma - it is a favourite in oil burners and diffusers due to its fresh lemony fragrance and strong anti-bacterial properties and is also good in massage blends.

It is also a favourite for use in soaps, hand sanitisers, body lotions, shower gels, shampoos, household cleaning products and more. Lemon Myrtle essential oil is said to be ‘lemonier’ than any other lemon oil.

Do not use Lemon Myrtle essential oil at a rate greater than 1% in body products, as skin sensitisation occurs.