Grapefruit peel oil gives our glass and mirror cleaner its tart note. It also carries an EWG C grade, explained below.
Contains added scent. Prefer none? Our Fragrance-Free All-Purpose Refill and Spray Kit have no fragrance or essential oils. No fragrance-free glass cleaner yet.
Quick facts
- What it is: Grapefruit peel oil (Citrus paradisi peel oil), labeled Grapefruit Oil
- Its job: Fragrance only
- Where it comes from: Grapefruit peel, recovered by juice plants as a by-product (Goodrich & Braddock, 2006)
- EPA Safer Choice: Not on its ingredients list
- CAS number: 8016-20-4
What the EWG C grade covers
EWG gives the raw oil, not our cleaner, a mid-scale C on its A to F scale (Environmental Working Group, n.d.-a, n.d.-b). For EWG's reasons, see its grapefruit oil page; we have not verified them ourselves. See how we vet ingredients.
Limonene: the compound to know
The oil is mostly d-limonene, which EPA lists as a solvent and known sensitizer (Tisserand & Young, 2014; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d.-a). Oxidized limonene is the main allergy risk: 9.4% of 821 consecutive dermatitis patients at a Dutch clinic, a referred group, reacted to it (Dittmar & Schuttelaar, 2019).
A 2013 toxicology review saw no serious d-limonene risk at conservative exposures, though its oxidation products can irritate skin (Kim et al., 2013). Scent-sensitive? Look for limonene. More citrus: orange and lemon oil.
Safer Choice judges fragrances under separate criteria (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d.-a, n.d.-b).
Handling and safety
- Undiluted essential oils can irritate skin and eyes. Each tablet holds a little, diluted in water.
- Store unused tablets packaged and out of reach. They can look like candy.
- Cold-pressed grapefruit oil can carry furocoumarins, which make skin react to sunlight (Tisserand & Young, 2014). Industry standards cap it at 4% only in leave-on products for sun-exposed skin, not rinse-off products or glass cleaners (Cosmetic Ingredient Review, 2014). Rinse cleaner off skin.
- The ASPCA lists the grapefruit plant, not our cleaner, as toxic to dogs, cats and horses (ASPCA, n.d.-b). Keep pets away until surfaces dry. Never apply cleaner to an animal.
- We have not measured dried residue, so wipe low glass toddlers touch with a damp cloth.
If something goes wrong
- Eyes or skin: rinse well with water. Call your doctor if irritation continues.
- Swallowed: call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 (America's Poison Centers, n.d.).
- Pet ate a tablet or cleaner: call your vet or ASPCA Animal Poison Control, (888) 426-4435, fee may apply (ASPCA, n.d.-a).
Where you will find it
Our Glass & Mirror blend (orange, grapefruit, patchouli, cedarwood and cypress oils), for glass.
See all our ingredients →
Sources
- America's Poison Centers. (n.d.). [Homepage]. https://poisoncenters.org/
- ASPCA. (n.d.-a). ASPCA Poison Control. https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control
- ASPCA. (n.d.-b). Grapefruit. https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/aspca-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/grapefruit
- Cosmetic Ingredient Review. (2014). Safety assessment of citrus-derived peel oils as used in cosmetics (Final report). https://www.cir-safety.org/sites/default/files/cpeelo092014FR.pdf
- Dittmar, D., & Schuttelaar, M. L. A. (2019). Contact sensitization to hydroperoxides of limonene and linalool: Results of consecutive patch testing and clinical relevance. Contact Dermatitis, 80(2), 101-109. https://doi.org/10.1111/cod.13137
- Environmental Working Group. (n.d.-a). About EWG's Guide to Healthy Cleaning. https://www.ewg.org/cleaners/content/methodology
- Environmental Working Group. (n.d.-b). Citrus paradisi (grapefruit) oil. https://www.ewg.org/cleaners/substances/1340-CITRUSPARADISIGRAPEFRUITOIL/
- Goodrich, R. M., & Braddock, R. J. (2006). Major by-products of the Florida citrus processing industry (FSHN05-22). University of Florida IFAS Extension. https://doi.org/10.32473/edis-fs107-2006
- Kim, Y. W., Kim, M. J., Chung, B. Y., Bang, D. Y., Lim, S. K., Choi, S. M., Lim, D. S., Cho, M. C., Yoon, K., Kim, H. S., Kim, K. B., Kim, Y. S., Kwack, S. J., & Lee, B.-M. (2013). Safety evaluation and risk assessment of d-limonene. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part B, 16(1), 17-38. https://doi.org/10.1080/10937404.2013.769418
- Tisserand, R., & Young, R. (2014). Essential oil safety: A guide for health care professionals (2nd ed.). Churchill Livingstone.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.-a). Safer Chemical Ingredients List. https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/safer-ingredients
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.-b). Safer Choice criteria for fragrances. https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/safer-choice-criteria-fragrances
