Top 8 Benefits Of Lemongrass For Your Skin

Lemongrass, which goes by the scientific name of Cymbopogon citratus, is a plant native to South India & Sri Lanka. It’s a bushy shrub-like herb which can grow as high as 6 feet. The plant is treasured across cultures for culinary & medicinal purposes. 

Due to its high content of the aromatic compound ‘citral’, lemongrass essential oil has a characteristic lemon-like fragrance. This oil is known to possess anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties.¹ These properties of lemongrass essential oil make it an excellent candidate for use in skincare products. Therefore, lemongrass as an ingredient is widely used by brands in making soaps, shampoos, creams, deodorants, perfumes, wipes, etc.

In this blog, we’ll uncover the key benefits of lemongrass for your skin health. So stay tuned & continue to read.

How Is Lemongrass Beneficial For Skin & Hair?

Here are a few key benefits of using lemongrass for your skin & hair health.

• Improves Skin Appearance: 

Want tighter, brighter & acne-free skin? Look no further! The astringent property of lemongrass helps in getting rid of excess oil from the skin, strengthens skin tissues & makes your pores appear smaller.2 This results in a more polished-looking, matte & overall improved skin. This property of lemongrass makes it particularly suitable for use on oily, acne-prone skin. Lemongrass essential oil also tones up the dermal tissues & helps in tightening, uplifting and firming tired or saggy skin.²

• Soothes & Purifies Skin: 

Due to its antibacterial & antifungal properties, lemongrass helps clear out any dirt, germ or impurities from your skin. The anti-inflammatory & antioxidant properties also help in detoxifying your skin & helping it get rid of any inflammation or redness.¹

• Fights Off Skin Infections: 

Lemongrass essential oil is also quite potent against a few common bacteria & fungi that cause skin infections such as Candida and Staph species.³ Lemongrass is also helpful in treating wounds & infections such as ringworm, sores, Athlete’s Foot, and scabies.² Studies have found them to be effective even against some drug-resistant bacteria.⁴ This largely showcases the therapeutic potential of lemongrass, highlighting its possible use as an alternative medicine for holistically treating stubborn microbial infections.

• Rich In Nutrients: 

If you believe in the quote ‘you are what you eat’, you’ll definitely want to incorporate lemongrass into your diet. This is because lemongrass is a rich source of essential vitamins such as vitamin A, B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin) B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), folate and vitamin C. It also boasts a wide array of minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, manganese, copper, zinc and iron.² All of these nutrients support a healthy body & beautiful skin.

• Keeps Away Dandruff: 

Haven’t we all tried several anti-dandruff shampoos & serums for this pesky issue but in vain? Introducing lemongrass as a proven dandruff warrior! Not only is it excellent at cleansing your scalp of dandruff but it also keeps it away for good, thanks to its antifungal properties.^{5 6} Apart from this, it also helps in keeping your scalp & hair clean.

• Promotes Hair Growth: 

With advancing age, hair loss becomes one of our major concerns. Neither men nor women are spared from its vagaries. But lemongrass can be your much-needed aid. It strengthens hair follicles, and keeps the scalp clean & thus might help in promoting hair growth.⁷

• Busts Stress: 

Lemongrass essential oil is a natural mood lifter. It has a calming effect on your muscles & nerves which relieves fatigue, eases pain & helps you sleep better. The essential oils have a pleasant aroma because of which they are used in aromatherapy sessions. These sessions can help rejuvenate both mind & body.²

• Fights Body Odour: 

Smelly underarms & stinky socks? We understand your concern! But fret not as this fragrant grass with antimicrobial power can help you get rid of foul body odour in a jiffy.² 

Ending Note

Having discovered the wide array of lemongrass benefits for your skin, we’re sure you’d love to include this ‘magic grass’ into your skincare routine. When using lemongrass essential oil topically, ensure to use it in recommended dilution as these oils are very concentrated. Also, remember to do a patch test first to avoid any unforeseen allergies. 

Here’s to wishing you a zestful, refreshing skincare journey with lemongrass!