Lemongrass oil
Lemongrass oil is an essential oil made from lemongrass leaves with many benefits and uses. This oil is safe and good for dogs and cats to repel insects. It is used in many hair products for hair growth and in skincare products because of its antibacterial property. Other uses are for calming moods and anxiety when used in a diffuser because of the effect of its aroma.
Lemongrass is also called Citronella, Abafado, Andropogon citratus, Fever grass, Andropogon flexuosus. Limon, Limonaria, Citronnelle, Cana Santa, Jonc Odorant, Sakumau, Sera, Sereh, Squinant, Ta-Khraj, Tej-Sar, Verveine Indienne, Cymbopogon, barbed wire grass, silky heads, Cochin grass, Malabar grass, or oily heads.
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Lemongrass Oil Benefits
This oil can be applied directly to the skin for skin problems like acne on the face, skin infections, and relief of pains. Lemongrass essential oil can be inhaled as aromatherapy for many different conditions such as headaches, mood changes, etc.
The leaves, as well as, the oil are used in cooking food – mainly for flavoring. It is also used as a flavoring in making beverages. Lemongrass leaves are used in making herbal tea to give it a lemon flavor and for making lemongrass chicken.
This oil is used as a fragrance in deodorants, soaps, perfumes, and cosmetics. It is is also used in making vitamin A and natural citral. This homemade oil has antibacterial and antifungal properties and therefore helps prevent the growth of some bacteria and yeast cells. It contains chemical compounds that can relieve pain and swelling and control the sugar and cholesterol levels in the blood.
Uses
- To treat spasm or abnormal movement of the gut
- Relieves headache and stomachache
- Treats hypertension
- Prevents convulsions
- Relieves general body pain, neuralgia, and pain due to rheumatism
- Stops vomiting
- Fights cold and cough
- Treatment of malaria fever
- Relieves exhaustion
- Lemongrass essential oil is used as an antiseptic and astringent
For pain relief, the oil is applied topically on the affected parts. The same is used for headache, muscular pain, stomachache, or abdominal pain. Lemongrass steam or the aroma of the oil can be inhaled using a diffuser to relieve muscular pain and calm moods.
How to use lemongrass essential oil
Lemongrass can be used in various ways. You can take the oil orally, or apply it directly to the skin, or inhale as aromatherapy for many different conditions. It can be used for cooking.
Side effects
Some people may have allergies on the skin when it is applied to the skin. Always use a drop to test on your skin by applying it and rubbing over a small area for 4 hours and observe. If there is no skin reaction, then you may not react to it, but if there is, then discontinue its usage. Rarely, lemongrass oil causes lung problems following its inhalation.
How to make lemongrass oil at Home
- The lemongrass leaves are wash and the water is allowed to drain
- Lemongrass leaves are then chopped into smaller sizes
- Place a pan on heat with water
- Add the chopped lemongrass oil in a jar and pour any carrier oil into the jar containing the leaves. Your carrier oil could be olive oil, coconut oil, any oil of choice. You choose the carrier oil based on the additional benefits you could get from it and the flavor you love.
- Place the jar into the pan containing the water and allow to cook
- As it cooks, keep stirring to infuse the contents of the leaves into the oil in order to extract the lemongrass oil.
- When the color of the leaves fades and the oil takes the color of the leaves, your lemongrass essential oil is ready.
- Turn off heat ad strain into a storage jar