Li
Lime Oil
Citrus Aurantifolia Oil · Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Oil
Phototoxic essential oil — sun exposure on treated skin can cause delayed burns and pigmentation.
What it does
Cold-pressed lime-peel oil. Among the most phototoxic citrus oils; documented "margarita dermatitis" from lime juice + sun exposure traces to the same furocoumarin mechanism.
The evidence, graded
expert consensusBergamot, lemon, lime, bitter orange, parsley, and fig contain furocoumarins (psoralens) that produce phototoxic reactions when applied to skin and exposed to UV. The reaction can resemble a severe sunburn or pigmented chemical burn (berloque dermatitis). Avoid these ingredients in leave-on products applied during the day.Bowers 1999 · American Journal of Contact Dermatitis ↗
Graded per the methodology: strong · moderate · emerging · expert consensus. A weak source on a strong claim gets the weaker label.
Also known as
citrus aurantifolia (lime) peel oil
Browse all 668 ingredients — grouped by what they do, each with whatever evidence we can cite.
This page is public so a shared ingredient card always has its sources behind it — and so you can check them without an account.
Want more like this?
Every evidence-based flag cites its source, Drop tells you when your routine is complete, and it helps you simplify — instead of selling you more. The app launches on iOS and Android in October 2026. Rate my routine works today at /rate — no sign-in.