18 Lemongrass Essential Oil Uses & Benefits, for Skin, Hair & Even House!


Besides being a delicious citrusy seasoning in Southeastern Asian cooking, most folks would never guess that this delicious thready grass holds such a lot healing power inside its fibrous stalks!

Surprisingly, lemongrass volatile oil is employed as aromatherapy to alleviate muscle pain, externally to kill bacteria, keep off insects, and reduce body aches, and internally to assist your gastrointestinal system . It also can be used for flavoring tea and soups, and it adds a pleasing natural fragrance to cosmetics, soaps and homemade deodorizers.

The compounds that structure lemongrass volatile oil are known to possess antifungal, insecticidal, antiseptic and anti inflammatory properties. Lemongrass may prevent the expansion of some bacteria and yeast, and it contains antioxidant properties. It also contains substances that are wont to alleviate muscle pain, reduce fever, plus stimulate uterus and menorrhea .


What is Lemongrass Essential Oil?
Before we talk more about lemongrass oil, what's lemongrass? Lemongrass is an herb that belongs to the Gramineae of Poaceae. Lemongrass is additionally known by Cymbopogon; it's a genus of about 55 species of grasses.

Lemongrass grows in dense clumps which will grow six feet tall and 4 feet in breadth . it's native to warm and tropical regions, like India, Southeast Asia and Oceania. it's used as a medicinal herb in India and it's common in Asian cuisine. In African and South American countries, it's popularly used for creating tea.

Lemongrass oil comes from the leaves or grasses of the lemongrass plant, most frequently the Cymbopogon flexuosus or Cymbopogon citratus plants. The oil features a light and fresh lemony smell with earthy undertones. it's stimulating, relaxing, soothing and balancing. The chemical composition of lemongrass volatile oil varies consistent with the geographical origin; the compounds typically include hydrocarbon terpenes, alcohols, ketones, esters and mainly aldehydes. The essential consists of mainly citral at about 70 to 80 percent.

Lemongrass volatile oil may be a source of essential vitamins like vitamin A , B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, folate and vitamin C . It also provides essential minerals like magnesium, phosphorous, manganese, copper, potassium, calcium, zinc and iron.

18 Lemongrass volatile oil Benefits & Uses

What is lemongrass volatile oil used for? There are numerous potential lemongrass volatile oil uses and benefits so let’s dive into them now! a number of the foremost common benefits of lemongrass volatile oil include:

1. Natural Deodorizer and Cleaner

Use lemongrass oil as a natural and safe air freshener or deodorizer. you'll add the oil to water and use it as a mist or use an oil diffuser or vaporizer. By adding other essential oils, like lavender or tea tree oil, you'll customize your own natural fragrance.

Cleaning with lemongrass volatile oil is another great idea because not only does it naturally deodorize your home, but it also helps to sanitize it.

2. Skin Health

Is lemongrass oil good for skin? One major lemongrass volatile oil benefit is its skin healing properties. One research study tested the consequences of a lemongrass infusion on the skin of animal subjects; the infusion is formed by pouring boiling water over dried lemongrass leaves. The infusion was used on the paws of rats so as to check lemongrass as a sedative. The pain-killing activity suggests that lemongrass are often wont to soothe irritations on the skin. 

Add lemongrass oil to shampoos, conditioners, deodorants, soaps and lotions. Lemongrass oil is an efficient cleanser for all skin types; its antiseptic and astringent properties make lemongrass oil perfect for return and glowing skin, and thus a part of your natural skin care routine. It can sterilize your pores, function a natural toner and strengthen your skin tissues. By rubbing this oil into your hair, scalp and body, you'll alleviate headaches or muscle pain.

3. Hair Health

Lemongrass oil can strengthen your hair follicles, so if you're battling hair loss or an itchy and irritated scalp, massage a couple of drops of lemongrass oil into your scalp for 2 minutes then rinse. The soothing and bacteria-killing properties will leave your hair shiny, fresh and odor-free.

4. Natural Bug Repellant

Because of its high citral and geraniol content, lemongrass oil is understood to repel bugs like mosquitoes and ants. This natural repellant features a mild smell and may be sprayed directly on the skin. you'll even use lemongrass oil to kill fleas; add about five drops of oil to water and make your own spray, then apply the spray to your pet’s coat.

5. Stress and Anxiety Reducer 

Lemongrass is one among several essential oils for anxiety. The calming and mild smell of lemongrass oil is understood to alleviate anxiety and irritability.

A study published within the Journal of other and Complimentary Medicine reveals that when subjects were exposed to an anxiety-causing situation and smelled the scent of lemongrass oil (three and 6 drops), unlike the control groups, the lemongrass group experienced a decrease in anxiety and subjective tension, immediately after treatment administration.

To relieve stress, create your own lemongrass massage oil or add lemongrass oil to your lotion . you'll also try having a cup of lemongrass tea in the dark before bed to experience calming lemongrass tea benefits.

6. Muscle Relaxer

Have sore muscles or are you experiencing cramps or muscle spasms? Lemongrass oil benefits also include its ability to assist relieve muscle aches, cramps and spasms. it's going to also help to enhance circulation.

Try rubbing diluted lemongrass oil on your body or make your own lemongrass oil foot bath. inspect a number of the DIY recipes below.

7. Detoxifying Antifungal Abilities

Lemongrass oil or tea has been used as a detoxifier in several countries. it's known to detox the alimentary canal , liver, kidneys, bladder and pancreas. Because it works as a natural diuretic, consuming lemongrass oil will assist you to flush harmful toxins out of your body.

Keep your system clean by adding lemongrass oil to your soup or tea. you'll make your own lemongrass tea by infusing lemongrass leaves with boiling water or adding a couple of drops of volatile oil to your tea. 

One study was done to check the consequences that lemongrass oil has on fungal infections and yeast from Candida albicans species. Candida may be a mycosis which will affect the skin, genitals, throat, mouth, and blood. By using disk diffusion tests, lemongrass oil was studied for its antifungal properties, and research shows that lemongrass oil features a potent in vitro activity against candida.

This study suggests that lemongrass oil and its key active component, citral, have the facility to scale back fungal infections; specifically those caused by Candida albicans fungus. 

8. Menstrual Cramp Relief

Drinking lemongrass tea is understood to assist women with menstrual cramps; it also can help with nausea and irritability.

Drink one to 2 cups of lemongrass tea each day to alleviate pain related to your period. There’s no research project on this use, but lemongrass is understood to be soothing internally and stress reducing, so it is sensible why it's going to help with painful cramps.

9. Stomach Helper

Lemongrass has been known for hundreds of years anecdotally as a cure for stomach distress, gastritis and gastric ulcers. Now research is catching up with this long known support and cure.

A research study published in 2012 shows how lemongrass volatile oil (Cymbopogon citratus) was ready to protect the stomachs of animal subjects from gastric damage caused by ethanol and aspirin. The study concludes that lemongrass oil “might function a lead compound for future development of novel therapies that combat nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug drug-associated gastropathy.”

Adding lemongrass oil to tea or soup also can help to enhance stomach pains and diarrhea.

10. Headache Relief


Lemongrass oil is additionally often recommended for relief from headaches. The calming and soothing effects of lemongrass oil has the facility to alleviate the pain, pressure, or tension which will cause headaches.

Try massaging diluted lemongrass oil on your temples and inhale the relaxing lemony fragrance.

11. Bacteria Killer

A study wiped out 2012 tested the consequences that lemongrass has as an antibacterial property. Micro-organisms were tested with a disk diffusion method; lemongrass volatile oil was added to a staph infection and therefore the results indicated that lemongrass oil disrupted the infection and works as an antimicrobial (or bacteria killing) agent.

The citral and limonene content in lemongrass oil can kill or stifle the expansion of bacteria and fungi. this may assist you avoid getting infections like ringworm, athlete’s foot or other sorts of fungus. Studies in rats have proved that lemongrass volatile oil is an efficient antifungal and antibacterial agent. cash in of those lemongrass oil benefits by making your own body or foot scrub— you'll find the recipe below.

12. Fever Reducer

With its cooling properties, it’s surprising that lemongrass oil features a history of use as a natural fever reducer. Lemongrass is understood to contain substances that are believed to scale back a fever and also to alleviate pain and swelling. 

13. Supports Your system 

Lemongrass oil can help to spice up your system with its antimicrobial and therapeutic properties. In vitro research has also shown that the oil can reduce pro-inflammatory cytokines within the body, which may contribute to illness.

14. Helps Digestive Problems

Lemongrass oil can help relieve pain from gas irritation within the stomach and bowels. It’s also been shown to possess anti-diarrheal effects. consistent with research published in 2006, lemongrass may help to slow diarrhea. This research study showed that lemongrass reduced fecal output in mice with castor oil-induced diarrhea.

15. Reduces Inflammation

In vitro research has shown that lemon grass oil has powerful anti-inflammatory abilities when used both internally and externally. this is often huge once you consider that inflammation is at the basis of most diseases.

16. Power Antioxidant Effects

Studies have shown that lemongrass oil has powerful antioxidant activity with the power to repel disease-causing free radicals. A study published in 2009 also demonstrates how one among the most components of lemongrass oil, citral, can inhibit the expansion human carcinoma cell line MCF-7 in vitro. 

17. Lowers Cholesterol

A research study published within the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology checked out the consequences of giving animal subjects with high cholesterol lemongrass volatile oil orally for a complete of 21 days. The mice were either given 1, 10 or 100 mg/kg of lemongrass oil.

The researchers found that blood cholesterol levels were reduced within the group treated with the very best dose of lemongrass oil. Overall, the study concludes that the “findings verified the security of lemongrass intake at the doses utilized in folk medicine and indicated the beneficial effect of reducing the blood cholesterol level.”

18. Fights the Flu and Colds

According to a scientific article titled published in 2011, “As a vaporizer, the oil works as an efficient panacea against bacteria, flu and colds.” Lemongrass oil can fight bacteria and may help to combat airborne illnesses like cold , especially when used with a vaporizer. If your blood heat is above normal, lemongrass oil also can have a cooling effect. 

Researchers tested whether volatile oil vapors, made from lemongrass and geranium, could reduce surface and airborne levels of bacteria. the consequences changed counting on the methods used; during a sealed box environment, bacteria growth on seeded plates was reduced by 38 percent after 20 hours of exposure to the volatile oil combination. In an office environment, an 89 percent reduction of airborne bacteria happened within 15 hours. This study suggests that lemongrass volatile oil are often used as a way of air disinfection.

The study also revealed that the essentials oil vapors inhibited the expansion of antibiotic-sensitive and antibiotic-resistant bacteria in vitro.

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