Botanical Name:Cymbopogon Citratus

Origin: West India

The colour of the steam distilled oil from the fresh and sometimes dried leaves is golden yellow to a rich amber although I have had batches that where borderline red in colour. The smell is very distinctive, it has bite to it. The main constituent is Citral which can account for as much as 80% and as the bulk of this oil you would expect it to be quite sweet and you would be right, it reminds me of Lemon Sherbet sweets and brings back some lovely childhood memories as I was a big sweet eater, if you have ever seen the film called the Goonies I was the known as the character ‘chunk’ played by Jeff Cohen! The vast amount of Citral may explain why some UK businesses sell this as Citral Oil, that’s fine but for those businesses to make claim that Cymbopogon citratus is not Lemongrass are barking mad. I do know that this is the therapist’s first choice Lemongrass that offers more benefits therapeutically due to its chemistry than that of Cymbopogon flexuosus which is preferred by the natural perfumer.

Safety Data: Never add more than 3 drops to a bath as it may irritate your skin.

This is one of the more important members of the family of scented grasses native to India which are also cultivated in other tropical areas, particularly Brazil, Sri Lanka and parts of central Africa. The grass grows to three feet or more in height, and two or more crops may be cut each year. After harvesting the grass is finely chopped to facilitate the extraction of the essential oil by steam distillation.

Another use of Lemongrass oil is in footbaths, highly refreshing for tired feet, and helpful for excessive sweating as well.