Lemongrass Essential Oil

Fresh, grassy, and herbaceous, with a crisp lemony-green brightness

At a Glance

Botanical Name: Cymbopogon flexuosus
Botanical Family: Poaceae (Gramineae)
Plant Part Used: Leaves, stems
Extraction Method Used: Steam distilled
Country of Origin: Nepal
Perfumery Note: Middle

Scent Profile

Bright, green, and full of lemony energy, lemongrass essential oil feels like fresh air in a bottle. It opens with a crisp citrus lift, then softens into a clean, herbal aroma that feels cool, refreshing, and awake. Its scent is often connected with clarity, renewal, and a light sense of movement.

Botanical Description

Lemongrass is a fragrant tropical grass native to Asia, loved for its tall, slender leaves and bright lemony scent. It grows in dense, graceful clumps, usually reaching about 2 to 4 feet tall. When its leaves are cut or crushed, they release the fresh citrus-green aroma that makes lemongrass so recognizable in herbal and aromatic traditions.

Traditional Aromatic Background

Lemongrass is part of the Cymbopogon genus, a family of fragrant tropical grasses with bold, citrusy personalities. Native to southern India and Sri Lanka, it has been used for generations in simple household and personal care traditions. With its crisp, lemony-green aroma, lemongrass oil later found its way into soaps, detergents, and deodorizing products—bringing that “fresh and clean” feeling to everyday life.

Botanical Fun Facts

  • Those tall, lemony lemongrass leaves are the star of the show! They’re usually distilled fresh or partly dried, often during the warm May-to-October growing season.
  • Lemongrass brings that bright, lemony-green “summer outside” aroma—one reason it’s often featured in botanical outdoor blends and fresh-air rituals.
  • It can take roughly 4–10 grams of fresh lemongrass herb to create just one drop of lemongrass essential oil.
  • In Mexico, lemongrass is known as zacate limón or té limón, a name that beautifully matches its crisp, citrus-green scent.

How it's Often Enjoyed

Lemongrass is often enjoyed in diffuser blends, room sprays, direct inhalation, and properly diluted topical oils. With its bright, lemony-green aroma, it is commonly used to bring a fresh, clean, and uplifting scent to indoor spaces, outdoor blends, household sprays, and body care rituals.

A Note on Safe Use

For external use only. Do not ingest. Dilute before topical use unless otherwise directed for the specific product. Avoid contact with eyes and mucous membranes. Keep out of reach of children and pets. Discontinue use if irritation occurs. Consult a qualified professional before using if pregnant, nursing, or under medical care.

Special Safety Notes

Lemongrass essential oil should be properly diluted before topical use and may cause skin sensitization in some individuals. Use with caution during pregnancy, with young children, on sensitive or damaged skin, or if taking certain medications. Avoid contact with eyes and mucous membranes, and discontinue use if irritation occurs. Please feel free to contact me with any questions about use, dilution, or product selection. Source: Tisserand R, Young R. Essential Oil Safety: A Guide for Health Care Professionals. 2nd ed. Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier; 2014. Page 334.

Storage

Store tightly closed in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and heat to help preserve freshness and aromatic character.