I love that grapefruit is wonderful for mind, body and spirit…
Grapefruit essential oil is one of my faves, and for good reason, not only is it a sunshiny, happy scent- it is great for a multitude of purposes, from aiding in weight loss to heart and emotional problems– grapefruit is perfect for aiding in ‘letting go’ and the ‘release’ of whatever ails you.
Most citrus essential oils are cold pressed and have a fresh, sweet, and bright scent.
Some traditional uses:
- release
- as it is slightly euphoric; it lifts melancholy
- relieves muscle fatigue,
- as an astringent for oily skin,
- refreshes and energizes the body,
- stimulates detoxification, (also great for anti-cellulite blends!)
- can also be used as an airborne disinfectant
-
Emotional profile:
- for use with self-doubt, feelings of worthlessness,
- aid in dealing with criticism,
- aids in release from dependency, frustration and grief
Blends very well with:
- tangerine
- neroli,
- lemon,
- palmarosa,
- bergamot,
- rosemary,
- cardamon,
- geranium,
- lavender
- cypress
READ my article on Yahoo! all about grapefruit with: grapefruit facts, grapefruit recipes, about and benefits of grapefruit essential oil, grapefruit color codes for html, grapefruit cake and frosting recipes, and much more grapefruit!
Aura Cacia describes grapefruit’s history best:
The origin of the grapefruit poses a bit of a botanical mystery. Its appearance and flavor indicate that it’s a hybrid between a large, sour citrus fruit called the shaddock (Citrus maxima) and the sweet orange (Citrus sinensis). No records of any deliberate hybridization between the two plants have been found. Grapefruits share characteristics of both fruits: in a ripe grapefruit the tart flesh of the shaddock is tempered with the juicy sweetness of the orange. Surveys of citrus populations in the Old World and Asia haven’t been able to confirm the presence of any native-growing grapefruit trees. Similar searches in the West Indies, however, have uncovered many populations of apparently naturally growing grapefruit. It’s a puzzling question whether the grapefruit was deliberately bred or emerged as a spontaneous hybrid in some old Caribbean citrus grove.
The modern American grapefruit growing industry developed in Florida in the mid-1800s. Many of the early varieties of fruit resemble their wild-growing cousins in that they’re smaller and contain many seeds. More recent hybrids are bred for appearance and size. The shelf-appeal and seedlessness of varieties developed for the fresh fruit market have been bred at the expense of flavor. Because the older varieties are often superior in taste and juiciness, they are used to make grapefruit juice. The extraction of the essential oil is a by-product of the juicing process.
The grapefruit’s essential oil glands are deeply imbedded in the flavedo, the outer peel of the fruit. The thick, spongy white layer of the peel is known as the albedo. The albedo will absorb and decrease the yield of essential oil if the two layers aren’t carefully separated before extraction. This separation is done by machines that roll and scrape the flavedo away from the fruit before it goes on to be juiced. The abraded flavedo forms a wet, pulpy mass that’s put in a centrifuge, where the oil is separated from the solids. The solids can then be pressed for additional oil. The extracted oil is filtered and bottled.
Using this method of extraction, a ton of fresh fruit will produce 1.5 pounds of essential oil. A much more substantial yield of 25 pounds of essential oil could be obtained if the peels were chopped and steam distilled, but steam distillation destroys the delicate, sweet-smelling constituents of the fresh peel. The quality of this oil would be unsuitable, especially for aromatherapy purposes.
Aura Cacia: https://www.auracacia.com/auracacia/aclearn/eo_grapefruit.html
Capillary Gas Chromatography and Carbon-13 NMR Spectroscopy
.38% alpha-Pinene .42% Sabinene .02% beta-Pinene 1.37% Myrcene .02% para-Cymene 83.40% Limonene .01% gamma-Terpinene .62% Octanal .07% Nonanal .40% Decanal .02% Dodecanal .04% alpha-Terpineol .09% Citronellal .04% Neral .06% Geranial .06% Carvone .24% beta-Caryophyllene .10% Nootkatone .01% (Z)-3-Hexenol .09% 1-Octanol .01% (E)-2-Hexenal .01% Ethyl butyrate.01% Valencene
Some Places Where You Can Buy Grapefruit Essential Oil
whether you like white grapefruit, pink grapefruit, from overseas, or right here in Florida, you can find grapefruit essential oil quite easily.
Yahoo Contributor Content closed, full article below:
There’s nothing like the divine scent or taste of the tangy sweetness of a juicy grapefruit. Grapefruit essential oil is one of my faves, and for good reason–not only is it a sunshiny, happy scent, it is great for a multitude of purposes; from aiding in weight loss, to heart and emotional problems. Grapefruit is perfect for aiding in ‘letting go’ and the ‘release’ of whatever ails you.
Of the many claims that have been made concerning grapefruit, some mention that grapefruit can affect everything from aiding weight loss- boosting immunity and lifting spirits–to fighting cancer and even heart issues. Just be aware that Harvard online said that grapefruit can interact with many medications; (see this table which lists some of the most important along with related drugs that are less likely to be influenced).
Though they may vary in color, they don’t much stray too far in their properties:
- Ruby Red Grapefruit- deep red, deepest fruity aroma,
- White Grapefruit – yellow in color and crisp citrus aroma,
- Rose Grapefruit – pink/orange color and both crisp and fruity.
Grapefruit also happens to be one of my f avorite essential oil scents of the citrus oils . Not that I don’t adore the many other citrus scents like; tangerine, lemon, orange, yuzu, mandarin, kumquat, key lime…I could go on all day. I just love all citrus, and grapefruit is so bright/snappy/happy– I couldn’t imagine life without it.
About grapefruit essential oil- Aura Cacia:
The extraction of the essential oil is a by-product of the juicing process.
The grapefruit’s essential oil glands are deeply imbedded in the flavedo, the outer peel of the fruit. The thick, spongy white layer of the peel is known as the albedo. The albedo will absorb and decrease the yield of essential oil if the two layers aren’t carefully separated before extraction. This separation is done by machines that roll and scrape the flavedo away from the fruit before it goes on to be juiced. The abraded flavedo forms a wet, pulpy mass that’s put in a centrifuge, where the oil is separated from the solids. The solids can then be pressed for additional oil. The extracted oil is filtered and bottled.
Using this method of extraction, a ton of fresh fruit will produce 1.5 pounds of essential oil. A much more substantial yield of 25 pounds of essential oil could be obtained if the peels were chopped and steam distilled, but steam distillation destroys the delicate, sweet-smelling constituents of the fresh peel. The quality of this oil would be unsuitable, especially for aromatherapy purposes.
Travel with smiles:
Grapefruit essential oil is the perfect pick-me-up, especially when blended with tangerine, and is an instant mood enhancer. This could reduce accidents, and even help with road rage. Try a blend of 5 drops grapefruit essential oil, and 5 drops of tangerine essential oil in a car diffuser or 20 drops each (grapefruit and tangerine essential oil) in a 4 oz spray bottle , then fill with purified or distilled water, shake and spray….sunshine smiles in a bottle.
Speaking of sunshine smiles, what else makes you smile? Did you say cupcakes? I hadn’t had a cupcake in forever, and I’m sure that it probably would have been better to just eat the grapefruit , but I couldn’t help myself, so grapefruit cupcakes it had to be.
Of course I had to tweak the recipes, I can never just make anything exactly as written. LOL. So I decided to combine three different recipes into one: Orange Chiffon Cake, Golden Cupcakes, and then threw in a little of the Golden Layer Cake recipe, and topped it off with buttercream frosting – and of course added grapefruit juice and zest. Oh yeah. Cupcakes with a twang.
Grapefruit Cupcakes with Buttercream Grapefruit Frosting
CAKE INGREDIENTS:
10 TBL (1 stick + 1/4 stick) unsalted butter softened
2 cups (about 9 oz) cake or all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar (most recipes called for only white sugar, but I had to sub. a little brown sugar!)
4 eggs
1 TBL grated grapefruit zest
1 cup sour cream
3 TBL grapefruit juice (fresh squeezed)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
Set oven to 350 degrees. Put muffin/cupcake papers to fill two cupcake/muffin tins. Cream butter, 3 – 4 min. Gradually add sugars, and cream together until light. Beat in eggs one at a time, add zest, juice, sour cream. Sift together salt, soda and flour, and stir into batter until smooth. Use an ice-cream scoop to place batter into papers. Bake for 20 min. Cool. Then frost with buttercream grapefruit frosting.
Buttercream Grapefruit Frosting
1 stick unsalted butter (8 TBL) softened
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2-3 TBL. fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
1 TBL grapefruit zest
Cream butter, add remainder of ingredients and beat well. Adjust with confectioners’ sugar if too thin, or more grapefruit juice if it’s too thick. Frost cupcakes after cooling.
Want to know how to make Candied Grapefruit Peel: for the top? Click here. .
Enjoy!
MORE GRAPEFRUIT!
And in case you’re looking for grapefruit color palette html codes try here, or here.
Or if you’d like to paint your room grapefruit try one of these Sherwin Williams colors.
Had enough of grapefruit yet? If not…see my blog post here.
See resources for more information on the glory of grapefruit.
RESOURCES & More Reading:
Harvard.edu/grapefruit and medications
my blog post about grapefruit; https://yellowstaressentials.wordpress.com/2011/10/20/grapefruit-essential-oil/
Aura Cacia
Grapefruit search on Yahoo Voices
Grapefruit Benefits
Grapefruit Essential Oil ~ Aura Cacia
Grapefruit Essential Oil Facts & Uses
Search for grapefruit on YellowstarEssentials WordPress blog
Grapefruit color codes for html
Candied Grapefruit peel recipe (and triple grapefruit cupcake recipe with pics)
© iStockphoto.com / ricardoazoury
If you love DIY handmade gifts, or just enjoy using natural products that you’ve made yourself, then this project is for you. Here is a wonderful and fun recipe to play with that makes the best natural handmade soap you’ll find without having to deal with the dangers of lye or caustic soda.
Yellowstar Essentials Blog 