What Is Lemongrass Oil?
Lemongrass, also known as Cymbopogon citratus, is a tropical plant that is native to India and Sri Lanka but easily found across tropical and subtropical regions like Africa, Southeast Asia, and South America, and Central America. It is known by several other names like Cochin grass, Malabar grass, citronella grass, barbed wire grass, and silky head. This plant is used for various culinary, medical, and cosmetic purposes. As a medicinal herb, it is used to treat various conditions like blood pressure, digestive problems, skin irritations and infections, problems with the nervous system, to name a few. It is also used to treat oxidative stress and has anti-inflammatory properties. Oxidative stress takes place when there is an imbalance of free radicals in the body. Lemongrass tea is a popular type of tea that is well-favoured thanks to its lemon-like taste and fragrance, as well as its soothing properties.

Lemongrass Oil Benefits
Let’s go into detail about the benefits of lemongrass – It has antibacterial properties, so it can be used to treat bruises, rashes, and mild wounds. It can also help prevent infection.
Lemongrass contains citral, which has anti-inflammatory properties and it can be used to treat chronic inflammation that is caused by arthritis, edema, or cardiovascular ailments.
This oil can also work as a natural pain reliever.
It has antifungal properties as well. It is used jock itch, ringworms, and athlete’s foot.
The oil is a powerful antioxidant. An antioxidant can help your body fight against the effects of free radicals.
It may ease diarrhoea. However, this is according to a study that was conducted on mice.
It can address several digestive issues as well as relieve nausea

What Is Lemongrass Infused Oil?
It is essentially made from lemongrass leaves and stalks. Lemongrass has a strong earthy undertone, coupled with a subtle lemony fragrance and flavour. It is chock full of antioxidants, antifungal, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties, making it one of the most preferred herbs. The composition of lemongrass oil mainly includes neral, geranial, geranyl acetate, undecane, myrcene, and of course citrus. The amount of citrus it contains determines the quality of the plant.

What is lemongrass essential oil?
It is easy to get confused between lemongrass fragrance oils and lemongrass essential oils. Lemongrass fragrance oils simply have the fragrance of lemongrass with little to no nutritional value or health benefits. The essential oils, on the other hand, has all the essential properties of lemongrass like its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fungal properties. Lemongrass essential oils are also pure and used most commonly for aromatherapy.

How To Make Lemongrass Oil
It is easy to find it in stores, as well as on online portals. Most of the time, these oils are made through the steam distillation process. However, if you have these wonder herbs growing in your backyard, or if you simply want to make it yourself, then that is possible as well. To make lemongrass oil, you will need the help of carrier oil. The carrier oil is like the base oil, to which extracts from lemongrass will be added or infused.

Ingredients
To make lemongrass oil at home, you will require the following –
Three or four stalks of lemongrass
A carrier oil. For this, you can use olive oil, sweet almond oil, virgin coconut oil, almond oil, and grapeseed oil.
A clean, dry, fine cheesecloth
A rolling pin or a mortar and pestle
A glass jars or bowl with lid
A dark glass bottle with a tight lid.

Preparation
Once you’ve got all these ingredients in place, follow the procedure given below to make your oil.
Take the stalks of lemongrass or the leaves. Cut them into half or at a length of five to six inches if they are too long. With the help of a rolling pin, crush the leaves. You can cut them smaller and use a mortar and pestle instead of a rolling pin as well.
Fill the glass jar with the base or carrier oil. Add the crushed stalks of lemongrass leaves into this glass jar. Make sure you seal or cover it with the lid.
Place this jar in a cool, dry place, exposed to maximum sunlight.
Wait for around two days. After this, take the cheesecloth and use it to strain the oil that was kept in the jar.
Repeat this process with some more crushed lemongrass stalks. You can keep this for two days in the same place, exposed to sunlight.
Repeat this a third time, or check if you are satisfied with the potency of the oil. The more lemony the oil smells, the more potent it is.
As a final step, strain the oil again with the help of the cheesecloth.
Transfer the oil into the darker glass jar. This time, keep the jar in a dark, cool, dry place away from sunlight.

Lemongrass Oil uses
Here are a few common uses of lemongrass oil:

1 Lemongrass Oil For Hair
If your tresses are in need of some tender loving care, consider incorporating some oil into your hair care regime. It has several health benefits, and its wonderful fragrance is an added bonus. As mentioned above, it has antibacterial and antifungal properties, so that keeps all the bacterial and fungal infections your hair is threatened with, at bay. It can deep-cleanse a dry, flaky scalp, and of course, maintain the shine and good health of your hair.

Here Are Its Many Benefits For Your Hair –
Helps treat and prevent dandruff, psoriasis, eczema, and other scalp related infections.
Protects the hair from dust, pollution, and dirt
Removes dust and clogging of the hair follicles
Can strengthen hair and improve its quality
Helps with blood circulation, thereby promoting hair growth
Helps prevent hair fall
Can get rid of lice in hair.

How To Use It For Hair: DIY Recipes
Here is how to use lemongrass oil for hair with some recipe that you can try out at home –
1. Lemongrass Oil With Coconut Oil
Most people will swear by the benefits of coconut oil for hair. And there is a good reason for this. Coconut oil helps promote hair growth by strengthening hair follicles. It also makes your hair shiny and strong. This, along with lemongrass oil is an excellent recipe for your hair. You will require one cup of coconut oil and around three to four drops of lemongrass essential oil. Mix both together so it has become a homogeneous mixture. You can then apply this to your scalp and along the length of your hair. Do this before you sleep at night.

2. Lemongrass Oil With Apple Cider Vinegar
If you are suffering from scalp issues like dandruff, flaky scalp, and psoriasis, then this one’s for you. Lemongrass oil and apple cider vinegar can help soothe inflammation and prevent dryness, as well as treat infections. For this, you will require one cup of distilled water, half a cup of apple cider vinegar, and four to five drops of lemongrass oil. Mix all of these together till they form a homogeneous mixture. You can then apply it to your scalp and along the length of your hair. Let it sit for around ten minutes. After this, wash your hair with warm water. To observe the best results from this, repeat the process twice a week.

In conclusion
We’ve highlighted the numerous health benefits of lemongrass oil. There are a few studies and scientific researches that prove that lemongrass oil has several beneficial properties, some of which includes antioxidant, antifungal, astringent, and anti-inflammatory abilities. But more research has to be conducted to fully confirm the effects of lemongrass oil on humans. Although lemongrass oil is considered safe, one should consult a healthcare professional before you use lemongrass oil for its health benefits. You specifically have to do this if you are prone to allergies and migraines.