A Twist of Lemon

Lemons in perfume

It’s unclear where lemon trees were first grown, perhaps Asia, but it is known that the Arabs brought this evergreen tree to Europe in around the 8th Century. Lemon then travelled to America through seeds carried on Christopher Columbus’s ship in 1493. Today the tree is grown throughout the Mediterranean, Australia, Central and South America, California and Florida.

The scented oil is achieved by cold-pressing the peel, and once extracted it is very close to the natural scent that the fruit emits. The fragrance molecules of citrus fruits are very volatile, meaning they are one of the first ingredients to dissipate in a perfume. That’ s why citrus is often used in the top of a perfume. You often find in perfumes the combination with pepper or vetiver to make the fresh character in a perfume last longer.

Lemon is known to be energetic, bright and bring a sweet cheeriness. It has a crisp clean smell to it. People associate purging feelings of imperfection and impurity.