Staying Healthy with Vitamin C & Vitamin C Essential Oil

Vitamin C essential oil is derived from citrus fruits like grapefruit, and used for its potential health benefits. The oil smells lovely and is often used in aromatherapy, but beyond that, research indicates that there may be many uses for vitamin C that have yet to be widely tapped.

This year, perhaps more than ever before, we each need to make an effort to stay healthy and maintain a nutritious diet. Vitamin C packed fruit like Texas red grapefruits can help you do both! In fact, red grapefruit essential oil is especially helpful even amongst other vitamin C sources!

Next time you’re looking for an enriching snack, or a method for improving your health using essential oils, you can reach for a Texas red Winter Sweetz grapefruit.

The Potential Benefits Vitamin C

Vitamin C has many potential benefits. This powerful nutrient is an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial. Vitamin C is also commonly used as a mood stabilizer and for weight loss.

If you integrate vitamin C into your life, you could see the following advantages.

1.Lower Blood Pressure

Preliminary studies have shown that vitamin C may offer help for the one-in-three adults in the U.S. with high blood pressure. While more human studies are needed to say for sure, studies have shown that aromatherapy using vitamin C essential oil may reduce both stress and high blood pressure. Participants in a study experienced decreased systolic blood pressure and cortisol, a stress-response hormone.

2. Acne Treatment

One of the widest spread uses of vitamin C is in skincare. While vitamin C may help with everything from fine lines to dark spots, it may also offer some relief for those suffering from acne. This anti-acne potential is largely due to the antibacterial properties of vitamin C.

Fighting the bacteria on your face and skin can help your acne heal. Vitamin C also boosts collagen production, which can help strengthen the delicate skin of your face.

3.Antibacterial and Antimicrobial

One of the biggest and most well-established uses for vitamin C is as an antibacterial or antimicrobial. Grapefruit essential oil, in particular, has powerful antimicrobial effects. In studies, these essential oils have been shown to fight MRSA, an antibiotic-resistant group of bacterias, as well as Escherichia coli (E. coli), Staphylococcus aureus, and Enterococcus faecalis, a bacteria found in the GI tract that is a common cause of urinary tract infections.

Vitamin C has long been touted as a kind of cure-all in the U.S., and not without reason! Vitamin C may help with many different health problems or concerns, but it’s important to remember what Vitamin C can’t do.

Currently, vitamin C is being used to help treat some of the effects of COVID-19 in some patients, but it does not “cure” the virus and should not be used as a stand-alone preventative measure.

How to Make Your Own Texas Red Grapefruit Vitamin C Essential Oil

The process is a bit tricky, but you can actually make your own grapefruit essential oil! The concentration of your homemade oil may be lower than commercial products, but it should still have countless benefits if created correctly.

1. First, thoroughly wash your grapefruit using soapy water in order to remove any traces of wax or chemicals.
2. Peel your grapefruit.
3. Setting the fruit aside for another treat or project, scrape the white pith from the rinds. You can use a spoon or zester, preferably.
4. Set out the rinds flat and let dry.
5. Add the dry peels to a small crockpot; fill with almond oil level with the tops of the rinds. The more oil you add, the less concentrated your oil will be.
6. Turn the pot on low and cover for 8 hours or longer.
7. Line a bowl with four or five layers of cheesecloth and pour in the oil.
8. Gather the edges of the cloth in your hands to catch all of the rinds, and carefully squeeze as much oil from the cloth and rinds as you can into a bowl.
9. Store the oil in dark-colored, air-tight glass bottles in order to prevent oxidation.

Keep in mind that you should never ingest homemade essential oils. If you plan on using vitamin C essential oil as a dietary supplement, we recommend buying therapeutic grade oil.

For all of your grapefruit needs, try Winter Sweetz’s sweet red grapefruits— found at many of your favorite Texas grocers and more by request!

Find Your Winter Sweetz!