The grapefruit is a subtropical fruit that many associate with a semi-sweet but sort of bitter taste. It's a large fruit that is a combination of the orange and pomelo.
For many years, the fruit has been known to help with weight loss since its low glycemic index is able to burn fat easily.
Many people dislike grapefruit, so eating the fruit to lose weight can be an unpleasant task for some. That's why grapefruit essential oil has become a more popular alternative.
My Top 5 Best Grapefruit Oil Brands In 2018
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*The companies chosen above are based upon my personal opinion based upon me giving them a try and testing their quality.
Grapefruit oil is simply an extract that is made from the fruit. Similar to the effects from eating the fruit, the oil provides many benefits, including:

The oil naturally has a lot of antioxidants that help reduce stress on the body and inflammation that can lead to disease.
One of the reasons it has so many incredible health benefits is because of one particular ingredient, referred to as limonene. This makes up almost 95 percent of the oil.
It’s a phytochemical that is known for fighting off tumors and helping to prevent cancer by stopping DNA cells from sustaining any damage.
Grapefruit essential oil also contains many other beneficial antioxidants, which include vitamin C, terpinene, citronellol, and many others.
The oil can often be used to treat upper respiratory infections and is commonly used to provide relief for arthritis patients.
One of its more common uses, though, is to help with weight loss because it has been known to boost energy and metabolism while also reducing sugar cravings.
The oil also has natural properties to help you detox your system. It can help clean out your liver and lymphatic system to prevent disease and infection and control fluid to ensure you’re not retaining it.
Grapefruit Oil Uses: How You Can Use It In Everyday Life

Grapefruit oil can be used for a number of different things and can be ingested orally, applied topically, or used aromatically.
Aromatherapy – You can diffuse grapefruit oil throughout your home by putting it through an oil diffuser or by sniffing it from the bottle itself.
This method can be effective at relieving stress, headaches, and symptoms of depression.
Topical Treatments – Grapefruit oil can also be applied to your skin. When doing so, you should dilute it in water or other topical oils like coconut and jojoba oils.
Once it is combined, you can apply it to your skin as you would any other oil or cream. This method works best when treating muscle injuries and acne.
Internal Methods – You can also ingest grapefruit oil to receive its many benefits; however, using it internally should only be done if the oil is high quality and pure grade.
To ingest the oil, it’s recommended that you dilute it in water first, then take it as a supplement or mix it in with a smoothie or other drink to have throughout the day.
Again, be sure that the oil you are choosing to ingest is 100 percent pure and only contains grapefruit rind oil with no other added ingredients.
Here are a few of the things you can use grapefruit oil for.
Reduce Your Cravings
We all have days when it feels like we’re craving everything in sight. When your cravings hit, try adding grapefruit to your drink or diffusing it throughout your home or office space you can even massage some drops of the oil into your skin to get the same effect. Exposing yourself to it should help reduce your cravings.
Relieve Stress
Stress is part of everyday life, so it’s important to find ways to cope with it. Grapefruit oil can often do the trick.
All you need to do is combine it with coconut oil and apply it to your wrists or neck just like perfume. You can also try diffusing it throughout your home or sniffing it directly from the bottle to get the same effect.
Cure a Hangover
A fun night of drinking will be something you regret in the morning if you don’t have the proper hangover cure.
Thankfully, grapefruit oil is one unlikely hangover cure that works pretty well. Just diffuse a few drops throughout your home, put a few drops in your glass of water, or apply a few drops to your skin to get the best results.
Improves Skin Health
If you struggle with acne, you know there are many prescriptions, over the counter, and natural products that claim to help with problem skin.
Grapefruit oil is actually known as an effective natural acne solution as well. To test out its healing powers, combine a few teaspoons of grapefruit oil with coconut or jojoba oil and apply it to your face regularly. You can also use it as a spot treatment if you don’t want to coat your entire face.
Get Rid of Odors
Smelly bathrooms and kitchens can make your whole house unpleasant to be in. You can get rid of these odors and the bacteria that cause them by diffusing grapefruit oil in your home.
It’s best to combine it with a few other citrus oils, such as lemon and orange, to get the best results. You can also apply it directly to surfaces in your home to effectively clean and remove germs.
Increase Circulation
If you want to get your blood flowing, you can try adding a few drops of the oil to a bath. You can also apply some on the collar of your shirt or put a few drops on your wrists where you would apply perfume.
Digestive Aid
Many people have trouble digesting gluten, dairy or other food groups. Grapefruit can help with digestion and be used as a massage oil to aid in the process.
Simply combine it with coconut or jojoba oil and massage it on your skin. Applying it to your abdomen will help you achieve the best results.
Increase Energy and Improve Mood
You can always be happy and full of energy. That’s why grapefruit oil is a great alternative for days where you’re a bit down or feeling tired.
Diffusing it at work or home can help improve your energy levels. Additionally, applying it directly to the skin can have the same effect on your mood.
Get Luxurious Hair
Hair dryers, harsh chemicals, curling irons, and straighteners all wreak havoc on your hair.
Adding a bit of grapefruit oil to your shampoo or conditioner can drastically improve the health of your hair. Simply add it to your products and massage it through your scalp.
You can also apply it directly to your hair by combining a few drops with coconut oil and applying a small amount to your hair after washing it.
Grapefruit oil also works well if used in conjunction with other natural oils. You can combine it lemon essential oil, basil oil, citrus oil, and many others depending on what you want to do with it.
Be sure to remember that these oils are very concentrated and acidic. While they are very healthy for you if used properly, it’s recommended that you store them in glass containers since they have the potential to eat away at a plastic one due to the high acidity.
Grapefruit Essential Oil Benefits

Helps You Lose Weight
Since it has often been publicized, it’s no secret that grapefruit is one of the best fruits to eat to promote weight loss.
This is due to the fact that grapefruit contains many ingredients that actively work to boost your metabolism and decrease your appetite overall. Grapefruit oil can have the same effect when applied topically or inhaled.
This makes it a super effective and very healthy way to lose weight. Obviously, you can’t just rely on grapefruit oil to help you lose weight. You’ll have to also make changes to your lifestyle and diet in order to achieve the best results.
In addition to increasing your metabolism, grapefruit oil can also be a natural diuretic or lymphatic stimulant. In fact, it’s often an active ingredient in cellulite creams or creams that are made for bruising.
It can also be great at helping you drop a few pounds of water weight since it helps boost your lymphatic system, which may be functioning too slowly and causing your body to retain water.
Many research studies have backed up these claims, including one conducted at Nagata University School of Medicine in Japan.
This study found that grapefruit oil provides people with a naturally refreshing and exciting feeling if it is inhaled. This then activates the body’s sympathetic nerve activity and helps manage weight.
In a study done on animals, researchers found that grapefruit activates sympathetic nerve activity and also affects white adipose tissue found throughout the body.
This tissue controls lipolysis. The study found that when rats inhaled grapefruit oil, lipolysis increased and reduced weight gain.
Natural Disinfectant
This powerful oil also has many antibacterial properties. It can reduce the amount of or eliminate harmful bacteria that would otherwise enter your body through bad food, water, or parasites found in either substance.
It can also fight off bacteria that cause food borne illnesses, such as e-coli and salmonella. Additionally, it can kill bacteria already in your system, eliminate mold, kill off parasites, keep food fresh, and act as a disinfectant when added to water.
The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine even published a study that tested grapefruit seed extract against 67 other biotypes to determine effectiveness.
Grapefruit oil showed distinct antibacterial properties higher than all of the other substances.
Eliminates Candida
Grapefruit oil also contains anti-fungal properties that make it effective at reducing the presence of yeast and other bacteria that cause the candida virus.
This virus can have a negative effect on your gut and can cause bad cravings. Grapefruit oil can also effectively treat urinary tract infections and has been known to be almost as effective as prescription drugs.
When inhaled, the scent of grapefruit oils can even help cure sinus infections or other infections in the upper respiratory system.
Reduces Stress
The scent of grapefruit oil can provide a calming and uplifting effect. That’s why it’s often said to bring out feelings of peace and relieve stress.
In fact, research has found that when inhaled or used as aromatherapy in the home, grapefruit oil can help the brain feel more relaxed and reduce blood pressure significantly.
The grapefruit vapors also send messages to your brain to help you control emotional responses to stress.
In 2002, the Journal of Japanese Pharmacology published a study that looked into how grapefruit oil affected processes in the brain.
They found that, for normally functioning adults, grapefruit oil (when it was combined with other essential oils) significantly improved brain activity and induced relaxation.
In fact, adults in the study who inhaled the oil experienced an increase in what is called relative sympathetic activity. This caused a reduction in stress and improved their mood.
The study also found that blood pressure was reduced when people smelled grapefruit oil as opposed to other odorless substances.
Cures a Hangover
After a night of heavy drinking, grapefruit oil can effectively treat your hangover symptoms. It's an effective stimulant for both your gallbladder and liver, so it works well to treat headaches, cravings, or tiredness.
It can also work well to alleviate symptoms that come with alcohol withdraw. You can achieve this effect by diffusing the oil in your home or by applying it to your skin.
Even the smallest amount will help detoxify your body and prevent cravings that can come with excessive alcohol consumption.
No More Sugar Cravings
Grapefruit oil can also be effective at alleviating sugar cravings. When you inhale it, the oil is known for lowering sugar cravings and addictions.
Simply sniff the scent from the bottle of oil or put a few drops in your water or other beverage to drink as a healthy alternative to sugar.
Air Fresheners
Grapefruit oil can be used with lemon and citrus oil to create a nice, refreshing scent when diffused within your home.
It will also work to eliminate bacteria that causes odors within your home. You can also apply it directly to surfaces within your home in order to kill bacteria and other odors in the most natural way possible.
Boosts Circulation
Many citrus based essential oils are known for increasing blood flow and helping to reduce inflammation.
Grapefruit naturally dilates the blood vessels and because of this can be effective when used as a remedy for PMS cramps, headaches, fatigue, bloating, and other muscle related pains.
According to research, limonene that is found in grapefruit oil can help regulate the body's production of a substance called cytokine, which regulates the body's immune response.
Helps with Digestion
Increasing circulation and blood flow throughout the body means that blood flow to the digestive organs is efficient. All of this means that grapefruit oil can also be effective at regulating digestion.
It can reduce fluid retention and remove microbes that can be found in the digestive organs, such as the intestine and gut.
The Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism published a study that indicated drinking grapefruit juice helped with detoxification and could work in the same way if added to water and consumed that way.
Unfortunately, this study hasn't been conducted on humans yet.
Boosts Energy and Mood
Grapefruit is a popular essential oil, likely because it is known for boosting energy and increasing your ability to focus.
When inhaled through aromatherapy, the oil can reduce headaches, boost energy, and help with fatigue. Many people also use the oil as an antidepressant because it it helps make you feel more alert and calms nerves.
Research has found that grapefruit oil inhibits the activity of acetylcholinesterase. Because of this certain signals are sent to the brain and can eventually cause an improvement in your overall mood.
Improves Skin Health
Because it has many antibacterial properties, many face washes and soaps include grapefruit or another citrus oil.
It can help get rid of dirt and oil while also increasing skin's immunity to help fight off the effects of pollution and the sun's harmful rays.
In 2016, a study was conducted to analyze the effects of grapefruit oil in relation to the skin's exposure to sun and overall improvement in its health.
The study found that when combined with rosemary oil, grapefruit oil was effective at helping avoid the negative effects of sun exposure.
Improves Hair Health
Studies have also found that grapefruit oil can help cleanse and nourish your hair and scalp. When added to shampoo or conditioner, grapefruit oil can reduce greasiness, add volume, and add some sheen to your hair.
It can also work to prevent colored hair from fading in the sun.
Add Natural Flavor to A Drink or Meal
If you want to add a natural citrus flavor to your drink or food, grapefruit oil is a healthy way to do so.
It can also help curb cravings after eating a meal and help improve digestion.
Essential Oil Recipes That Include Grapefruit Oil
Side Effects and Necessary Precautions For Grapefruit Oil
Overall, grapefruit oil is considered to be natural and safe when ingested, applied topically, or inhaled.
However, it's important to keep in mind that it can affect some medications, including antidepressants or blood pressure medications.
If using it on your skin, it's also best to avoid exposure to direct sunlight since some citrus oils increase sensitivity to sunlight.
Additionally, if you have sensitive skin, it's important to test the oil on small patches of skin to ensure you're not allergic and it does not cause any skin irritation.
Is it Safe to Eat Grapefruit Oil?
It is generally safe to eat grapefruit oil, but you should be careful to ensure you don't use excessive amounts of grapefruit oil to achieve weight loss.
It can be very dangerous to consume large amounts of the oil since it can overstimulate your organs and cause digestive issues.
Be sure to only consume the oil in small doses. Specific amounts should be printed on the bottle or recommended by a healthcare professional.
Grapefruit Oil: The Facts
Grapefruit oil comes directly from the grapefruit plant, called Citrus paradisi. It has been used for many centuries to achieve many health benefits. It's most commonly used to help manage weight and reduce inflammation throughout the body.
Grapefruit oil has many additional benefits, including the ability to reduce stress, clean your home, get rid of bad cravings, boost your mood, regulate your digestive system, enhance the flavor of your drink or food, improve the health of your hair and skin, among other things.
Grapefruit oil can be used aromatically, topically, and consumed. Each method of use provides different effects, but it's important to remember that you only need a few drops for the oil to work its magic. Using excessive amounts of the substance can be toxic.

Final Thoughts About Grapefruit Oil
As you can see, grapefruit essential oil provides many benefits whether you are consuming it, applying it to your skin, or using it in aromatherapy, but it's important to do your research and take necessary precautions if you decide to start using the oil regularly.
Be sure to consult with your doctor or another healthcare professional to ensure that consuming or using grapefruit oil is safe for you and that it won't interact with other medications you are taking.
If using the oil on your skin, be sure to test small amounts of skin before applying it to your entire face or body.
Using the oil can help you achieve a better mental state of mind and improve your overall health, but it's important to ensure you know how to use it and how it affects you before diving in completely.
What Company Should I Purchase Grapefruit Oil From?
I hope you enjoyed learning about all of the cool benefits and uses that grapefruit essential oil offers. It is definitely one of the most versatile oils because it can be used to create so many different types of blends to solve your everyday problems.
My personal favorite brand that I purchase most of my oils from is doTERRA. I find that they offer the highest quality oils, starter kits, and diffusers. They are especially good if you are brand new to oils because they offer a lot of free resources and education once you become a customer.
I highly recommend giving them a try. You can read more about my story of using their oils here.