Grapefruit seed extract is sometimes confused with grape-seed oil extract. It is a completely different product, however. Grapefruit seed extract is sometimes called "citrus seed extract." This extract can be used in a variety of ways, both internally and externally. Before dosing yourself, check with your doctor because grapefruit interacts with a host of medications. Grapefruit seed extract also needs to be used with care because it is extremely concentrated.
Disinfectant
Grapefruit seed extract can be used as a nontoxic cleaning disinfectant, according to C.J. Puotinen's "Nature's Antiseptics: Tea Tree Oil and Grapefruit Seed Extract." Create your disinfectant with a combination of 10 percent extract and 90 percent water.
Soap Additive
Grapefruit seed extract is a great soap additive because it contains the antioxidant power of vitamin C as well as glycerin. It also has deodorizing, antiseptic and astringent properties, according to "The Natural Soap Book: Making Herbal and Vegetable-Based Soaps," by Susan Miller Cavitch.
Internal Use
Grapefruit seed extract can be used internally. The disinfectant properties of grapefruit seed extract can make the human body less hospitable to viruses, yeasts, parasites and bacteria, advises Puotinen. In fact, grapefruit seed extract is a natural antibiotic and immune-system booster. Stephen Harrod Buhner, author of "Herbal Antibiotics: Natural Alternatives for Treating Drug-Resistant Bacteria," recommends using the extract to combat common antibiotic-resistant microbes that cause staph, strep, sinusitis, pneumonia, E. coli and salmonella. The extract can be used internally with no adverse side effects, Puotinen advises, as long as manufacturer's dosing directions are followed.
Pet Care
Grapefruit seed extract can be used internally for pets as well, according to another book by C.J. Puotinen, "The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care." Also use grapefruit seed extract externally on your pets to cure several conditions. Dilute it with an equal amount of herbal tea or water and apply it to areas where your pet has ringworm, abscesses or pustules. Make sure you avoid mucous membranes and eyes. To treat sores, rashes, puncture wounds, infected ears, hot spots or burns, dilute grapefruit seed extract in six parts water.
References
- "The Natural Soap Book: Making Herbal and Vegetable-Based Soaps," by Susan Miller Cavitch; 1995
- "Nature's Antiseptics: Tea Tree Oil and Grapefruit Seed Extract;" C.J. Puotinen; 1999
- "Herbal Antibiotics: Natural Alternatives for Treating Drug-Resistant Bacteria;" Stephen Harrod Buhner; 1999
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