November Oil of the Month Reveal: Yuzu

By: Kimberly Daun, Certified Aromatherapist

The Yuzu is a wonderful, possibly accidental, 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 greens 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.  I find the aroma to be very uplifting, helping to minimizes worry and tension.

It is a very unique and hardy citrus fruit.

Most citrus trees require very warm environments, but Yuzu will continue to grow in places with winters that have temperatures that go as low as 15 °F.  They are fairly low maintenance and don’t require a lot of attention to thrive. (Wikipedia, 2016)

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 transplanting he was harvesting in excess of 40 fruits from the tree.  He specifically mentioned his preference to grow fruit trees due to their lower maintenance, compared to a vegetable garden.  (Tim, 2012)

For over 200 years, Yuzu has been a Japanese tradition to bathe with the whole fruit floating in the water.

It is said to help soften skin, clear clutter from the mind, boost the immune system, and support upper respiratory health.

You get the wonderful relaxing aromatic benefits while being figuratively (and literally if you do the above) 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 (Aromahead Instutue, 2016)

I decided that since a traditional Yuzu bath is typically done during winter solstice that now is the perfect time to enjoy this wonderful Japanese tradition – Essential Oil Style!

What you’ll need:

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

What you’ll do:

1. Mix essential oils into Hemp carrier.
2. Combine oil to salt.
3. Pour under warm running water.

To use:

Climb into the warm water that immediately calms the mind and body.  Close your eyes, take several deep breaths, and enjoy the calming and uplifting feeling that rushes over you from the aroma of the Yuzu.  Enjoy your bath and just pretend you’re on vacation in Japan!

Yuzu Product Template Sheet Download

References:

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

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

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