For an invigorating scent, Citronella Oil will take you out of this world. If you’re a fan of citrus, you’ll definitely love this treat. An underrated essential extract, this raw material is the perfect concoction for anyone looking for a pick me up during the waking hours of the day or needing some refreshment. For those unaware, Citronella Oil poses a variety of benefits including aromatherapy, bug repellant, and much more. With all these different benefits, there is a large scope of different uses including in skincare, aromatherapy, and even bug repellant. Let’s take a closer look at the profile, benefits, and uses of Citronella Oil.
What is an Essential Extract?
An essential extract derives from naturally made ingredients including flowers, roots, barks, and seeds. They have a strong potency which signifies it cannot be used by itself in a topical treatment, needing to pair the extract with a carrier in order for it to be safely used. Coming right from the ground and onto our shelves, every essential extract holds a variety of beauty and soothing benefits on an individual. Examples of other essential extracts include bergamot, lemon, orange, and mentioned in this article, Citronella Oil. Citrus essential extracts are designed to improve moods, keeping your spirits high. With these extracts, they are typically partnered up with a carrier extract including coconut, macadamia, and jojoba extract for example in order to decrease the strength of the essential extract like Citronella Oil.
The most notable positive of an essential extract is its fragrance which triples in scent than the raw material itself. As a result, these ingredients are used in a variety of aromatherapy concoctions, to alleviate and soothe feelings of anxiety and stress. In addition to its aromatherapeutic purposes, it can be used for many different beauty and wellbeing products including candles, lotions, massage treatments, and more. In the next few sections, we will be going over Citronella Oil as well as its benefits and uses.
What Is Citronella Oil?
Citronella Oil is the extract that is taken from the leaves of various citrus plants and is extracted through steam distillation. During the extraction process, they harvest the leaves and leave them outside in a field for about a day to make sure it gets dry. These dried-up pieces are then cut to be put in a still. After 3-5 hours, Citronella Oil is produced. This extract has an orange and yellow colour and has a watery texture. It’s most notable for its citrus scent which has a medium strength and you usually mix it with cedarwood to create a nice aroma. For these reasons, it is the ideal choice for a range of perfumery, beauty, and household products. In this way, Citronella Oil can be used in candles, soaps, incense, bug repellants, and even cosmetics. It can even be used in dog training, to help prevent dogs from making too much noise that can even come in the form of a spray or a collar made of the extract. Not to confuse, Citronella Oil is not like Lemongrass extract in the sense that both are two completely different colours despite their similar scents. Lemongrass has more of a yellow shade and the latter includes more of a red colour.
What Are The Benefits?
Insect Repellent
Citronella Oil is the ideal choice for an insect repellant as a result of its cleansing and deodorising capabilities. You can get rid of any trace of bugs causing bites by combining the extract with distilled water, essential extracts such as tea tree, and witch hazel extract. After spraying it topically onto your clothing or skin but be careful to not get it around your eyes to ensure the safety of your vision. In this way, you can prevent mosquitoes from coming your way.
Perfumery
Another benefit of Citronella Oil is that it has a sweet and uplifting scent, perfect to add to your fragrance recipe. Similar to citrus scents including lemongrass, lime, lemon, it has an aroma that energises your body. Because of this, it is an ideal choice for fragrances being used in diffusers, sprays, laundry detergent, soaps, bath oils, incense, potpourri, and many more. With all these uses, you can use this essential extract in your recipes in order to have a well-rounded and pleasant smelling scent. You can start your day on the right foot by having Citronella Oil added to your diffuser or skincare regime, providing you with a boost of energy.
Massage
For a refreshing and invigorating massage, Citronella Oil is the best extract to use all around the body. The extract offers a variety of antibacterial and antifungal properties keeping the skin not only moisturised but clean at the same time. Ways you can use Citronella Oil as a massage treatment include in a bath as it both works to eliminate body odour and relax your body. You can add a variety of other essential and carrier extracts to allow the person to receive more benefits if you were to do a full body massage. In hair treatment, Citronella Oil is perfect for getting rid of dandruff, dirt, and oiliness, keeping your scalp clean. Another way to receive the full benefits of Citronella Oil, you can provide a foot massage to allow a quick absorption of the extract into the body. You can receive a full deep relaxation from head to toe.
Healthy Hair
If you are looking for healthy locks, Citronella Oil is perfect for enhancing the overall appearance of your hair. After using the extract for some time, you’ll find yourself with hair full of bounce and sheen. Another major benefit is that it eliminates the appearance of a dry scalp, removing traces of dandruff and getting rid of lice. Its range of essential ingredients makes it incredibly soothing and hydrating for the hair, adding moisture to the hair making it perfect for those with sensitive hair types such as curly-haired people. Simply add it to your usual shampoo to add a thick and shiny texture to your hair.
Recipes
Insect Repellant
Ingredients
- 30 drops of citronella oil
- 20 drops of peppermint extract
- 20 drops of tea tree essential oil
- 60 grams of distilled water
- 45 grams of witch hazel
- 1 gram of sodium benzoate
- 1 teaspoon of jojoba oil (optional)
Method
- Fill a spray bottle with distilled water.
- Add in witch hazel.
- Add in Citronella Oil and the other ingredients.
- Mix well by shaking the bottle.
- You can spray onto clothes to prevent insects from harming the body.
- Spray every 2 hours or if needed.
- Keep away from sunlight to prevent deterioration.
Candles
Ingredients
- Small Glass Mason Jars
- Beeswax Beads
- 5 drops of Citronella Oil
- Hot Glue Gun
- Wicks
- Aluminum Can
- Coffee Stirrers x2
- Tongs
- Saucepan
- Stirrer or spoon
Method
- Place a wick at the end of the candle using a hot glue gun.
- Fill in the aluminium can from the bottom to the top with beeswax beads, keeping it full by pressing on it.
- Pop the aluminium can in a saucepan filled with water and boil until it has an oil consistency using the double boiling method.
- Add in the Citronella Oil.
- Mix using a stirrer or spoon.
- Use your tongs to hold the wick as you place the melted wax into the jar.
