Essential Oil from Lemon Peel (Citrus lumion) and application in Skin-Care Lotion

Abstract

Essential oil from peels of lemon (Citrus Lumion) fruit had been evaluated for its physiochemical, phytochemical compositions and application in skin-care product.  Lemon peel oil,  which is one of the under-utilized essential oil was  isolated from the matured fruits  peel using petroleum ether by soxhlet extraction method. The percentage  yield of 3.7 %,  for air-dried peels and 2.30 %, for fresh peels  are acceptable  for most plants essential oils. The ash content of both the dried and fresh peels were 1.42 ± 0.001 and 4.007±0.003. Some phytochemicals like, saponins, flavonoids, terpenes, carbohydrates, tannins, were determined using  standard methods.  The lemon-peel-oil skin-lotion formulation was  carried out by  mixing  5 ml   of the peel oil  sample  with corresponding  mass of basic lotion compositions, in water base-tank,  and homogenously mixed  in oil base-tank under 700 C.  The pH range(6.30), viscosity, spreadability,  and  properties  of the lotion were compared to the  non-lemon-oil lotion and to  a commercial grade skin lotion.