Lemongrass Oil

Lemongrass oil is steam-distilled from the leaves of Cymbopogon citratus, the lemongrass used every day in Vietnamese kitchens. Its main component is citral (geranial and neral), at about 65–85%, which gives a fresh, slightly grassy lemon scent.

The oil is used for room scenting, odour control, insect-repellent products, soaps and flavours. Lemongrass is not the same as Java citronella: the two oils differ in composition and scent.

Quick facts

Scientific name

Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf

Trade name

Lemongrass oil (West Indian type)

Part used

Leaves (fresh or wilted)

Method

Steam distillation

Appearance & odour

Pale yellow to yellow; fresh lemon-grassy scent

Main components

Citral (geranial + neral) about 65–85%; myrcene

Storage

Dark glass bottle, tightly closed, in a cool place

What is lemongrass oil?

Lemongrass is the most widely grown lemongrass-type plant in Vietnam. The swollen stem base goes into cooking, and the leaves are boiled for herbal water.

Steam-distilling the leaves gives a pale yellow to yellow oil. It smells strongly of lemon, sharper and “greener” than lemon peel.

On the international market the oil is sold as “lemongrass oil”. Oil from C. citratus is known as the West Indian type, and oil from C. flexuosus as the East Indian type. Both are rich in citral.

Lemongrass, Java citronella and May Chang: what is the difference?

These three oils are often confused, because all of them smell “lemony”. In fact their main components and typical uses are quite different.

Criterion	Lemongrass	Java citronella	May Chang
Scientific name	C. citratus	C. winterianus	Litsea cubeba
Part distilled	Leaves	Leaves	Fresh fruit
Main components	Citral 65–85%, myrcene	Citronellal, geraniol	Citral 70–90%
Scent	Lemon-grassy, slightly sharp	Sweet citronella, a little rosy	Sweet, bright lemon
Main uses	Room scent, soap, flavours	Mosquito repellents, household	Odour control, perfume

For a dedicated mosquito and cockroach repellent, choose Java citronella. For a sweet lemon note in perfume, choose May Chang. Lemongrass gives a strong lemon scent, and its value lies in citral.

What does lemongrass look like, and where does it grow?

According to Do Tat Loi’s reference work on Vietnamese medicinal plants, lemongrass is a perennial grass that grows in clumps about 0.8–1.5 m tall. The leaves are long and narrow and smell of lemon when crushed. The stem base swells into the white “bulb” sold at markets.

Lemongrass is grown all over Vietnam, mostly on a household scale, along field edges and in home gardens. Some areas have become dedicated growing zones.

On the river island of Tan Phu Dong (Dong Thap, including former Tien Giang province), about 4,020 ha are under dedicated lemongrass cultivation. Yields are 15–17 tonnes per hectare, with 2–3 crops a year.

In many areas the leaves used to be left in the field after the stems were cut for market. They now go to stills for essential oil. The spent leaves are used as a growing medium for mushrooms and as organic fertiliser.

Lemongrass in Vietnamese daily life

Lemongrass stems flavour steamed chicken, boiled snails, grilled beef, braised fish and sour hotpot. The leaves go into herbal steam baths for colds and into water for bathing and hair washing. Many families plant a few clumps around the house, believing the scent keeps mosquitoes away.

Uses

For information only; not a substitute for medical advice.

Citral: why it sets the value of lemongrass oil

Citral is the common name for two compounds, geranial and neral, which together create the lemon scent. The flavour and fragrance industry uses citral for lemon notes in drinks, confectionery and soap. Citral is also a raw material for ionone (a violet-like scent) and many other aroma chemicals.

For this reason, lemongrass oil is judged mainly by its citral content. Leaves cut at the right age, distilled promptly and free of other grasses usually give oil richer in citral.

Industrial applications

Industry	Applications
Household	Room sprays, floor cleaners, scented candles, insect-repellent products
Cleaning, cosmetics	Soap, shower gel, shampoo (at low levels)
Flavours	Lemon flavour for drinks, confectionery, tea
Raw material	Natural citral source for the fragrance industry

Why source lemongrass oil from Vietnam?

Lemongrass is a crop Vietnamese farmers know well. It is grown across the country, from home gardens to dedicated zones such as Tan Phu Dong.

Because the stems are sold as food, the leaves are often a by-product. Distilling them adds value for farmers and reduces field waste.

As with any natural oil, the profile varies with location, leaf age and distillation. Buyers should judge each lot by its own documents, not by origin alone.

Scent profile and blending

Lemongrass smells of strong, slightly grassy lemon. It is a top note and evaporates quickly, so it is often blended with longer-lasting oils.

• Blend with Java citronella for a repellent blend with a clearer lemon note.
• Blend with mint for a cool, clean scent for bathrooms and cars.
• Blend with ginger and patchouli for soaps and candles with a warmer, longer-lasting scent.

How to use at home

• Room scent and odour control: 3–4 drops in a diffuser; diffuse for 30–60 minutes, then pause.
• Deterring mosquitoes indoors: 3 drops lemongrass and 2 drops Java citronella in a diffuser in the evening, with doors partly closed.
• Floors and kitchen surfaces: 10 drops in a bucket of water; stir well before mopping.
• Shoe cupboards and bins: 2–3 drops on cotton or paper; replace every few days.

How to recognise good oil and store it

• Good oil is pale yellow to yellow and clear, with a distinct, fresh lemon scent and no burnt note.
• Oil that smells sweet and rosy with little lemon may be mixed with Java citronella or other grasses.
• Citral oxidises easily. Oil stored too long or opened often loses its lemon note and turns harsh. Keep it tightly closed, cool and away from sunlight, and use it within 1–2 years.

Quality specifications

The reference standard is ISO 3217 (oil of lemongrass, Cymbopogon citratus). The key parameter is citral content, together with relative density, refractive index and the chromatogram. Every lot comes with a COA and an MSDS.

Reference figures only; actual specifications follow the COA of each lot.

What buyers usually ask for

• COA and MSDS for the specific lot.
• GC chromatogram showing geranial, neral and myrcene.
• Confirmation of species, so that the oil is not confused with Java citronella or East Indian lemongrass.
• A sample before contract, to test the scent in your own formula.

Growers & cooperatives

The company buys fresh or wilted lemongrass leaves, including the leaves left over after the stems are cut for market. Priority goes to dedicated growing areas such as Tan Phu Dong (Dong Thap). Households and cooperatives elsewhere can send a sample first so we can test the oil.

Requirements when selling:

• True lemongrass, not mixed with Java citronella, other grasses or weeds.
• Leaves cut in dry weather, not waterlogged or rotting, and delivered soon after cutting.
• No pesticide spraying within the pre-harvest interval before cutting.
• Cooperatives with their own still can sell crude oil; the company tests citral in each lot.

Lemongrass can be cut all year; Tan Phu Dong grows 2–3 crops a year. In the Phu Tho study, the leaves yielded about 0.65–0.71% essential oil, depending on location and distillation. To talk about selling leaves, call or message on Zalo: +84 983 299 529. See more on the Raw material sourcing page.

Extraction process

1. Cut the leaves, remove dead leaves and weeds; wilt briefly if needed.
2. Steam-distil and separate the oil layer.
3. Settle, filter and remove water.
4. Test for citral and keep the COA under the lot code.

Frequently asked questions

Read more: Java citronella oil Litsea cubeba (May Chang) oil Thai basil oil Vietnamese herbal essential oils

References: Lemongrass – Do Tat Loi, Medicinal Plants of Vietnam · Composition of lemongrass oil grown in Phu Tho (Journal of Biotechnology, 2016) · Lemongrass on Tan Phu Dong island (Lao Cai Newspaper) · Maia & Moore, Plant-based insect repellents (Malaria Journal, 2011)