Pure Lemongrass Essential Oil

Lemongrass is a grass, not a citrus, which surprises people given how strongly lemony it smells. The scent comes from citral, a compound the plant produces in large amounts. It's the same compound that gives lemon myrtle and lemon verbena their punch. 

It grows in tall clumps across tropical Asia and is a staple of Thai and Vietnamese cooking, so the smell is familiar long before anyone meets it as an essential oil. Compared with a true lemon oil it's sweeter, greener and less sharp, and it lasts noticeably longer in a blend because it isn't a fragile citrus peel oil. 

Its close relative citronella, Cymbopogon nardus, smells similar but sharper and woodier. If you've compared the two side by side, lemongrass is the rounder and more pleasant of the pair indoors. 

This one comes in 30 ml rather than the 10 ml we use for most oils, because lemongrass gets used generously in diffusers and in soap and candle making.

Lemongrass oil has several benefits. Lemongrass aromatherapy primarily uses it to reduce stress and create a calming atmosphere. A refreshing lemongrass scent can also enhance mood and mental clarity. Additionally, lemongrass essential oil has a natural deodorizing effect, making it an ideal choice for diffusers in your office or other space. If you wonder where to buy lemongrass, you are in the right place.

• Diffuser: 3 to 4 drops per 100 ml of water. Lemongrass is bright and carries well, and it suits a kitchen or a living room. It blends nicely with sweet orange, peppermint or lavender. 
• Soap making: lemongrass is one of the most popular soap scents there is. It survives cold-process soap far better than true citrus oils, which fade. 
• Candle making: the same holds here, with a clean lemony throw that doesn't disappear once the candle cures. 
• Scented cleaning water: 10 drops in a bucket of warm water for floors and benches. It's a scent, not a disinfectant, so use a registered disinfectant where killing germs matters. 
• Room and linen spray: 10 drops in 100 ml of water with a teaspoon of vodka or witch hazel to help it disperse. Shake before each use. 
• Body oil: use a light hand here. A maximum of about 0.7%, which is 4 drops per 30 ml of carrier oil. Lemongrass is more irritating to skin than most oils in this range. 
• Not for facial use. 
• Blending: sweet orange, lemon, peppermint, lavender, geranium, clary sage, ylang ylang, patchouli, cedarwood and clove. 

• Product name: Pure Lemongrass Essential Oil 
• Botanical name: Cymbopogon citratus 
• Part used: leaves 
• Extraction method: steam distillation 
• Aroma: bright, sweet and lemony with a green, grassy base 
• Common uses: diffuser blends, soap and candle making, scented cleaning water and room sprays 
• Size: 30 ml 
• Shelf life: up to 3 years when stored cool and dark 

1. For external use only. Do not swallow. 
2. Lemongrass is a recognised skin irritant and sensitiser. Keep leave-on skin blends to about 0.7%, which is roughly 4 drops per 30 ml of carrier oil, and never apply it neat. 
3. Patch test every new blend on your inner forearm and wait 24 hours. Sensitisation can develop after repeated use, so stop if your skin reacts at any point, even to a blend that was fine before. 
4. Don't use it on the face or on broken or irritated skin. 
5. Keep it away from the eyes and inner ears. If oil gets in an eye, wipe it with a carrier oil or full-cream milk rather than water, then seek medical advice. 
6. Diffuse in a room with airflow, in sessions of 15 to 30 minutes. 
7. If you're pregnant or breastfeeding, check with your healthcare professional before using it. 
8. Don't use it on children under 2, and halve the adult dilution for older children after checking with a doctor or pharmacist. 
9. Lemongrass is toxic to cats and dogs. Cats in particular cannot process these compounds. Never apply it to an animal, keep the bottle out of reach, and ask your vet before diffusing where pets spend time. 
10. Store tightly capped somewhere cool and dark, away from heat and open flames.