Lemongrass is a fresh, lemony note distilled from tropical grasses of the genus Cymbopogon, mainly Cymbopogon flexuosus and Cymbopogon citratus. It belongs to the citrus-aromatic family and smells sharp, zesty and green, with a grassy, slightly earthy tone, and it is one of the main natural sources of citral.
What does Lemongrass smell like?
Lemongrass smells like lemon peel crossed with fresh-cut grass. The dominant note is citral, a blend of geranial and neral that gives a bright, sherbet-like lemon character. Behind it are grassy, herbal and slightly earthy facets, and sometimes a faint ginger-like warmth. East Indian lemongrass (C. flexuosus) is regarded as sharper and more lemony, while West Indian lemongrass (C. citratus) can be softer and grassier. Compared with real lemon, lemongrass is more herbal and less juicy; compared with citronella, a relative, it is cleaner and brighter.
Where Lemongrass comes from
Lemongrass is grown as a field crop in tropical countries. The grass is cut several times a year and steam-distilled; the oil is also a source of natural citral for flavour and fragrance.
- Also known as: Citronnelle (in French cooking), East Indian lemongrass, West Indian lemongrass
- Fragrance family: Citrus, Aromatic
- Type: Natural
- Main origins: India (especially Kerala), Guatemala, Sri Lanka, Madagascar
- How it's obtained: Steam distillation of the leaves
- Key aroma molecules: Geranial, neral (together citral), geraniol, myrcene
Lemongrass in perfume history
Lemongrass oil has been traded from India for centuries and became important in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries as a raw material for citral, which chemists used to make ionones, the violet-scented molecules first synthesised in the 1890s. It was also a staple in soap and household fragrance.
Lemongrass in modern perfumery
Lemongrass appears in fresh colognes, spa-inspired scents and citrus-herbal compositions, and remains widely used in soap and home fragrance. Perfumers value its natural brightness and use it to add a sharp green-lemon effect. Its main limit is regulatory, since citral is a skin sensitiser.
How Lemongrass wears and what it pairs with
Lemongrass is a top note with a lively but short-lived opening, though it lasts longer than most citrus oils. Classic pairings include ginger, lime, basil, mint, verbena, green tea, vetiver and cedar.
Safety and regulation
Lemongrass oil is high in citral and also contains geraniol and limonene, all EU-declarable allergens above set thresholds. Citral is restricted by IFRA because it can cause skin sensitisation.
