An Essential Oil to Watch: Lemongrass

This month, in American Spa they had a spotlight on the essential oil Lemongrass.  You’ve probably been exposed to it already.  That delicate citrus scent in your calming tea is most likely coming from lemongrass.

Lemongrass has been around for a long time.  It has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine.  Ayurvedic medicine uses it to relieve cough and nasal congestion.  Even now, new uses are being found.  It has become more widely used in spas for site-specific pain relief and in 2006 research out of Ben Guiron University in Israel found it was killing cancer cells.

I think it’s safe to say that that Lemongrass is really going places.

Lemongrass is sold in stalks and is green, but the essential oil is yellow to amber in color.  It is also known as Citronella which, as you probably already know, is used as a natural insect repellant.  Just a few drops in an oil burner will keep insects away.

In the spa world, lemongrass is used to refresh, stimulate and soothe.  According to Karina Stewart, co-founder of Kamalaya Spa in Koh Samui, Thailand, it is “deeply calming to the nervous system and as such can help treat stress, tension, anxiety, insomnia and even depression, all of which are common reasons why people go to spas.”

If you want to use Lemongrass at home, you can find it at any health food store with the other essential oils, but make sure it is essential oil and not fragrance or perfume.  It blends well with Benzoin, Geranium, Lavender, Tangerine and Ylang ylang essential oils to create a relaxing experience.  For example, add one drop each of Lemongrass, Lavender and Geranium to a bowl of warm water as a foot soak.

Lemongrass also can be added to a basic cleanser for a gentle cleansing experience.  Blended in a cream, it can tone and firm your sagging skin while releasing tension.  Finally, it is great to use after workouts to fight fungal infections and help with excessive sweating.

Before you start adding lemongrass to everything, be aware of the following:

• Sensitive skin should use it in moderation because it can cause irritation.  Start by adding small amounts and don’t use it every day.
• Don’t put the oil directly on your skin.  Dilute it with water, creams, cleansers, oils, etc…
• Avoid the sun for at least 3-4 hours after use and if you’re using it on your body in a cream, make sure you use a minimum SPF30 on top.
• According to WebMD, it is not recommended to use during pregnancy because it seems to be able to start menstrual flow, so there is concern about a miscarriage.  They also recommend to not use it during breast feeding since not enough is known about its effects on the infant.

I can tell you what I’m going to be doing tonight.  I’m going to put a couple of drops in my bottle of Lavender linen spray before bed.  Hopefully I’ll drift off to sleep to the sweet scent of citrus and flowers.