Are you feeling downright sweaty and stinky right about now? When the temperatures hit the high notes and it’s so hot that you feel like diving into a bucket of ice, you might want to consider reaching for a refreshing and soothing citrus pick-me-up.

I’ve always been a lemon aficionado. Not only are lemons and other citrus great for deodorizing and cleaning around the house, they smell amazing and have fabulous benefits for your body. They’re packed with antioxidants and loaded with Vitamin C, in addition to offering numerous benefits to your digestive and respiratory system. Lemons and limes contain flavonoids which are known to have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Seriously the list of what these superfoods can do is practically endless!

 All summer I’ve been indulging my citrus proclivity in various ways; frequently in the form of lemonade, either homemade or Uncle Matt’s Organic Lemonade (my top pick for store-bought when I’m running low on lemons).  In preparing chicken or seafood, lemon almost always is the X factor to whatever other seasoning I’m using. Even my dishtowels are lemonesque!

Lemons and other citruses have been used in fragrances for centuries, usually in cologne.  The thing about yesteryear’s lemon scents is that they usually weren’t long-lasting and tended to disappear almost as quickly as they hit the skin. Only recently, thanks to advances in fixatives and longevity, this isn’t as much as an issue as it once was.

So if you’re searching for ways to survive this current heat wave and transport yourself into a  cooler, calmer and more collected state of mind and body, spritzing on a citrus scent just might just do the trick:

Here are a few of my favs:

If you’re a straight out lemon lover you will be transported to lemon heaven by Versacie Eros Pour Femme. The bottle is gorgeous but it’s what’s inside is what steals the show. It was created to capture the primal power of woman and there’s more about it here.

Another really great lemon inspired perfume that’s more budget-friendly is Bath & Body Works  C. O. Bigelow Lemon No. 1999. For Just under $35 it smells fresh and natural – no bathroom cleanser odor here. It’s a straight-up no chaser type of lemon scent when you first spray it on and then turns slightly creamy and musky after wearing for a while.

For bergamot at its finest, you really can’t go wrong with Diptique Le’ Eau de Neroli . Yes it’s true that neroli takes center stage here but the lemony verbena is top-notch. I can’t stop sniffing myself after spraying this on, that’s just how great it smells. All bergamot babes need to try this and I’ve talked more about it here.

Grapefruit gals will go wild with Tocca Florence and Rosie Jane Tilly. I’m not as huge a grapefruit fan as I once was but these are both exceptionally lovely. More on these here and here.

Few can top Jo Malone when it comes to creating unique and lovely scents. One that I especially appreciate on those days when I’m feeling like a wilting lily is Lime Basil & Mandarin. I’m talking pucker up tart so be prepared! The lime is quite strong and acerbic as limes are known to be and becomes slightly balsamic over time with notes of patchouli and vetiver. Since it’s a more masculine scent than I normally wear I sometime layer it with JM Wood Sage & Sea Salt. The effect is decidedly softer and more feminine without losing that citrus oomph. I’ve talked more about the brand and its most popular scents here.

How about you? Do you find yourself reaching for citrus scents when the thermostat hits the high marks or are you one who stoically forgoes wearing any scent at all this time of year? I’d love to hear your thoughts!