Citrus paradisi racemosa crude peel, cold pressed, from Florida.

Aroma: Grapefruit Pink essential oil has a fresh, tart yet sweet citrus smell, similar to lemon and reminiscent to the aroma of the grapefruit rind, but more concentrated. Pink grapefruit is sweeter scented than the white variety. This top-quality grapefruit pink is close to sweet orange, but also has scents in common with bitter orange.

Possible Uses: Cellulitis, dull skin, toxin build-up, water retention. [Julia Lawless, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils (Rockport, MA: Element Books, 1995), 57-60.]

Common Uses: Grapefruit Pink essential oil is believed by aromatherapists to be a spiritual up-lifter, and to ease muscle fatigue and stiffness. It is also a purifier of congested, oily and acne-prone skin. Grapefruit oil is also sometimes added to creams and lotions as a natural (night-only) toner, and in some circles, it is believed to promote hair growth though there is not any medical documentation verifying this.

Consistency: Thin

Note: Top

Strength of Aroma: Medium

Colour: Pink

Constituents: up to 90% Limonene, Geraniol, Citral, Citronellal, Neral [Shirley Price, The Aromatherapy Workbook (Hammersmith, London: Thorsons, 1993), 54-5.]

Cautions: None declared, though in rare cases it may cause some photo-sensitization.

Safety Information: Phototoxic. [Robert Tisserand, Essential Oil Safety (United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone, 1995), 138.] Do not use if the area of application will be exposed to sunlight for 24 hours due to its phototoxicity.

Photo thanks to Wikimedia Commons and photographer Albert Cahalan ~ commonswiki .