Great Ingredients: Grapefruit

Sometimes happiness comes from the simplest of things.The Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi) is hands down my favorite fruit, especially the Texas Reds that are at their best in the winter time. The juicy, red flesh and sweet/tangy juices are pure bliss in a nicely packaged round ball. Grapefruit juice is a great pick-me-up and fresh squeezed from the remains of eating the insides has no match. I love the smell it leaves in the room, and the freshness it gives to my sink and garbage disposal. I also love putting a few drops of Grapefruit Essential Oil on the shower floor to let the steam disperse the smell and goodness into the shower.

Grapefruit is also a "great fruit", having many well researched beneficial properties for you including loads of Vitamins C and A, many vitamins and minerals and are high in antioxidants.  While I'm not trying to sound like a grapefruit commercial, I will say that grapefruits are fat, sodium, and cholesterol free and low in calories.  Nothing artificial, only pure sweet/tangy goodness.

A member of the citrus family, Grapefruit is also used to produce essential oils from its peel.  The peel is cold-pressed to extract the oil which is then used in fragrances, aromatherapy, skin and body products, and sometimes household cleaners.  White, Pink and Red Grapefruit all produce essential oils with the Ruby Red variety having the most intense fragrance. I tell my family that Grapefruit is the "cheery fruit" because it's uplifting to the spirit, refreshing to your senses, makes you feel happy and gives you energy.

Grapefruit is not without faults though - there is some research that shows Grapefruit juice can negatively interact with certain prescription medications. In general Grapefruit Essential Oil is thought to be non-toxic, non-irritant, non-sensitizing, and non-phototoxic; however there are conflicting studies that say it may be phototoxic when used in skin products.

If you're wondering what to do with those Grapefruit peels after you've eaten the yummy insides, you can do like I do - use them in the gardens to provide a non-toxic smelly deterrent for deer in your yard. The garden post is about using oranges, but I also use grapefruit all the time.

So the next time you're at the grocery store, think about picking up some nice, juicy Grapefruit or a big bottle of freshly squeezed juice. Smell how uplifting it is, taste it's tangy goodness, and make it a part of your diet.  If you'd like to experience what great things grapefruit can do for your skin, check my Dragonfly Dew website for Grapefruit Moisturizing Lotion Bars. Great for those on the go, the lotion bars instantly melt on your skin, and the grapefruit essential oil really smells great!