Lemon essential oil is a cold-pressed essential oil produced by cells inside the rind of a the fruit. It is a common flavoring and top note in perfumes. The scent of lemon is zesty, sweet, tart, bright, and crisp.
The most common way to use essential oils is to inhale them, either directly out of the bottle or by using a diffuser or humidifier. You can also dilute essential oils with a carrier oil and apply it directly your skin. Or you can get creative and add the mixture to a body wash, shampoo, or bath.
Pure essential oils do not go rancid. Over time, however, essential oils can oxidize, deteriorate and gradually lose their therapeutic value and aromatic quality.
Guidelines from Robert Tisserand:
Aromatherapy pioneer, essential oil expert, and Essential Oil Safety author Robert Tisserand provides an easy-to-remember rule of thumb for determining the shelf life of your essential oils. He recommends storing your essential oils in the refrigerator and bases these guidelines on proper care and cold storage (halve these guidelines for oils not stored in a refrigerator):
1-2 Years: Citrus, Neroli, Lemongrass, Frankincense, Tea Tree, Pine and Spruce Oils
(i.e. Oils that contain monoterpenes, particularly limonene, are more prone to oxidation. The more monoterpenes an oil contains, the shorter its shelf life. Most citrus peel essential oils, except Bergamot, consist of 90% or more monoterpenes, and thus are oils that have the shortest shelf life. Other oils that generally consist of over 80% monoterpenes include Angelica Root, Cypress, Frankincense, Pine and Spruce oils.)
2-3 Years: Most All Other Essential Oils
(i.e. Oils that contain a higher percentage of aldehydes, oxides, monoterpenols, esters, ethers, phenols or ketones.)
4-8 Years: Sandalwood, Vetiver, Patchouli
(i.e. Oils that contain a high percentage of sesquiterpenes and/or sesquiterpenols have the longest shelf life. Although the aromatic quality of these oils may improve over time, their therapeutic quality can still diminish. Thus for therapeutic use, it may be wise to use within the lower threshold of 4 years. Other oils that contain a significant percentage of sesquiterpenes and/or sesquiterpenols include Copaiba Balsam, Gurjun Balsam and Myrrh. Some Cedarwood distillations have higher sesquiterpene concentrations.)
Source: "Lemon On The Rocks: Keep Your Essential Oils Cool" (Robert Tisserand, 2013) [Web site].
The shelf life of essential oils can be maximized by storing them in dark glass bottles, keeping their caps tightly closed, and keeping them refrigerated or in a cool, dry location away from sunlight. As you use up the oil from a large bottle, rebottle the oil into a smaller bottle. This reduces the "headspace," the amount of oxygen that stays in contact with the oil. See the Storing Essential Oils article for more information.
Warning: Concentrated Oil
KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN.
Therapeutic grade according to international standards
***This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.