Lemongrass is a tropical, grassy plant used in cooking and herbal medicine. Extracted from the leaves and stalks of the lemongrass plant, lemongrass oil has a powerful, citrus scent. It’s often found in soaps and other personal care products.
Lemongrass oil can be extracted, and it’s been used by healthcare providers to treat digestive problems and high blood pressure. It has many other potential health benefits, too.
In fact, lemongrass essential oil is a popular tool in aromatherapy to help relieve stress, anxiety, and depression. Keep reading to learn more about how you can use lemongrass essential oil to improve your well-being.
What are the benefits of lemongrass essential oil?
Lemongrass oil has traditionally been used for a variety of purposes, including:
An antimicrobial, to help kill bacteria
It has anti-fungal properties
Contains citral, an anti-inflammatory compound
Lemongrass oil mouthwash has strong antioxidant abilities
It may help prevent gastric ulcers or relieve nausea
It may help regulate blood sugar and lipids
It helps relieve stress and anxiety
Like many essential oils, researchers have been working to evaluate the potential health benefits of lemongrass oil and its components.
How to use lemongrass essential oil?
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States has approved lemongrass essential oil as safe when people use it correctly. Misusing essential oils is dangerous and can result in poisoning, skin burns, nausea, and illness in pets.
People should never apply undiluted essential oils on their skin or into their eyes, mouth, or ears.
People can add lemongrass essential oil to a carrier oil, such as jojoba or coconut oil, and massage it into the skin.
Adding several drops of the essential oil to boiling water and inhaling the steam through the nose, keeping the eyes closed, and covering the head with a towel is another way to use it.
People can also add lemongrass essential oil to an oil diffuser. You should be cautious about using diffusers around infants, children, pregnant women, or pets.
Are there any side effects?
Lemongrass essential oil may irritate the skin and cause a rash. To minimize the risk of skin irritation, a person should avoid applying lemongrass essential oil to the skin if:
they have allergies or skin conditions, such as eczema
they have not diluted the oil first
they have broken or damaged skin
To check before use, do a skin patch test on a small area of skin, then wait 24 hours to see if a reaction appears before applying the diluted oil more liberally.
Lemongrass essential oil can also cause dryness and stinging around the eyes, ears, mouth, and other mucous membranes, such as the genital area. For this reason, it is best not to use it on the face or put the oil into bathwater.
The bottom line!
Traditionally, lemongrass oil has powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and astringent abilities. Still, more studies are needed on humans before it can be recommended as a mainstream treatment.
Using diluted lemongrass essential oil for massage, steam inhalation, or diffusing may help people relax and benefit from this traditional remedy. As with any essential oil, make sure to use lemongrass oil safely. Always talk to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns before using lemongrass oil.