November Oil of the Month Reveal: Yuzu

The Yuzu is a wonderful hybrid that is now primarily grown in Japan.  It is a beautiful combination of the citrus fruits, Ichang Papedas and Mandarin Oranges.

If you’re lucky enough to ever get to visit a Yuzu farm, expect a bright experience. You’ll be surrounded by trees covered in varying hues of green to bright oranges. Averaging about 3 inches in diameter, the fruit resembles a small grapefruit.

These small fruits have a very aromatic and tart aroma. It’s so strong that you can almost taste the exotic citrus.  The aroma is very uplifting, helping to minimizes worry and tension.

Background

Most citrus trees require very warm environments. However, this will continue to grow in places with winters that have temperatures as low as 15 °F.  They are fairly low maintenance and don’t require a lot of attention to thrive [3].

Tim, a gentleman living in North Carolina, shared his wonderful journey of growing his very own Yuzu.  After buying a small tree and transplanting it to the ground (at 18 inches), it produced a fruit!  Three years after, he was harvesting in excess of 40 fruits from the tree.  In addition, he prefers to grow fruit trees due to their lower maintenance, compared to a vegetable garden [2].

Benefits and Uses 

Notably, it is said to help soften skin and clear clutter from the mind. Also, it can help boost the immune system while supporting upper respiratory health.

Furthermore, you get the wonderful relaxing aromatic benefits while being bathed in therapeutic benefits.  Due to Yuzu being so high in monoterpenes, its therapeutic properties include:

• Immune Support
• Respiratory Support
• Circulation Support
• May minimize the perception of pain and inflammation [1]

In addition, since a traditional Yuzu bath is typically done during winter solstice,  now is the perfect time to enjoy this wonderful Japanese tradition — Essential Oil Style!

Refreshing Yuzu Bath Salts

What you’ll need:

• ½ cup Epsom Salt
• ½ cup Pink Himalayan Salt
• 1 Tbsp Hemp Seed Oil
• 5 drops Yuzu Essential Oil

What you’ll do:

First, mix essential oils into the Hemp carrier oil. Then, combine oil mixture to the Epsom Salt. Lastly, pour under warm running water.

Climb into the warm water that immediately calms the mind and body. Next, close your eyes, take several deep breaths, and enjoy the calming and uplifting feeling that rushes over you. Finally, enjoy your bath and imagine you’re on vacation in Japan.

Click here to download Yuzu’s Product Sheet.

References:

[1] Aromahead Instutue. (2016). Monoterpenes. Retrieved from Aromahead: http://www.aromahead.com/online-course/aromatherapy-certification-program/reference/chemical-families/monoterpenes

[2] Tim. (2012, September 1). Yuzu-A Cold-hardy and Very Unique Citrus. Retrieved from Tim’s Backyard: http://timsbackyard.blogspot.com/2012/09/yuzu-cold-hardy-and-very-unique-citrus.html

[3] Wikipedia. (2016, September 11). Yuzu. Retrieved from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuzu