Citronella Bali: More than just a Bug Repellent!
Next in our Bali Beauty Benefits Series is Citronella Essential Oil. You’ve probably heard of citronella as one of the most well-known bug and mosquito repellents. But did you know there are other great benefits of citronella oil too?
In our previous post, Begone Bug Bali, we discussed our 3 main essential oils that we use in our original balinese bug fighting recipe. Citronella is definitely one of those main ingredients! The other two are clove essential oil and cajeput essential oil. If you’re looking for an all-natural bug repellent that works for hours, check out our Begone Bug Bali article for more information. We have Bali Bug Begone sprays, candles and incense!
Utama Spice Begone Bug Products
In this post, we’ll discuss where citronella essential comes from, why citronella essential oil is so good at fighting off bugs and the other secret benefits of citronella oil!
Citronella – Where Does it Come From?
As we mentioned in our first post about How to Use Citronella Oil, citronella, which is a cousin of lemongrass, is a grass that grows in countries in Asia and the islands of the South Pacific. Like lemongrass, citronella has a fresh, crisp lemony scent. Citronella Essential Oil is known to be an antibacterial, antidepressant, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and fungicidal and is extracted from the grass using steam distillation.
Utama Spice Citronella Essential Oil
Citronella oil has been registered for use as an insecticide in the United States since 1948 and is perfectly safe for use on the skin to keep bugs away. Since it’s been official used this way, “the US Environmental Protection Agency states that citronella oil has little or no toxicity when used as a topical insect repellent, with no reports of adverse effects of concern over a 60-year period.”2
That’s a pretty good track record!
Citronella Essential Oil – Nature’s Best Insect Defense
Like we discussed in our Begone Bug Bali post, citronella is one of the oldest and most popular natural insect repellents on the market. It is widely found in candles and even sprays, especially to keep mosquitos away. According to research found on the National Center for Biotechnology Information, “citronella, which contains citronellal, citronellol, geraniol, citral, α pinene, and limonene, is as effective dose for dose as DEET.” DEET is the main active ingredient in most chemical-based insect repellents and was originally made by the US Army as an insecticide.
Utama Spice Citronella Essential Oil
As we mentioned in our post Avoiding Bugs AND Harsh Chemicals, “Some of the side effects that have been reported by those using DEET include:
- Memory loss
- Headaches
- Skin irritation
- Muscle weakness
- Nausea
- Seizures
- Joint pain
This is why it’s so important to find a natural product that works without scary side effects.”
Citronella Essential Oil – What Else Can it Do?
Like we said before, citronella oil has significant antibacterial, antidepressant, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fungal properties. When you combine this with the fact that it is perfectly safe for topical application, you find yourself with an essential oil that has many great benefits for the skin.
Many of our Bali Beauty Benefits oils have anti-inflammatory properties. This is because oils with anti-inflammatory properties have so many wonderful benefits for your skin. Anti-inflammatory oils can help with anything from muscle ache and joint pain to bags or dark circles under your eyes. When the anti-inflammatory properties combine with some of the other medicinal properties of citronella, there are even more positive effects.
According to Healthline.com, “Citronella oil’s anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties may help to speed up the healing of wounds.” This is because the antifungal properties help to clean the wound and keep it free from any lingering or encroaching fungal infections. Citronella oil also has antiseptic and antibacterial properties that will keep wounds safe and free from bacteria as well. These antiseptic and antibacterial properties also inhibit the growth of bacteria on surfaces too, so you could add it to a natural cleaning spray or disinfectant.
Citronella also has anti-depressant activities that can help to be both slightly stimulating and relaxing. As Dr. Axe writes in their post Citronella Oil: Repel Insects, Pain & Stress!, “In fact, research has shown that citronella oil seems to activate both para-sympathetic and sympathetic nervous activity.
Citronella can contribute to natural stress relief so try diffusing it in your home or office to counteract a rough day. When inhaled, citronella can encourage relaxation, invigoration and pleasant memories and may even reduce trouble sleeping and depression.”
For review, citronella oil has the following 5 Beauty Benefits Properties:
- Anti-inflammatory
- Anti-bacterial
- Antiseptic
- Anti-fungal
- Anti-depressant
And as you can see, these different properties combine in citronella essential oil to provide plenty of benefits for everyday use. And it can provide all of these benefits while keeping insects and mosquitos far, far away!
Utama Spice Citronella Essential Oil
If you haven’t seen our other posts in our Bali Beauty Benefits Series, check out Castor Oil: Bali Beauty Benefits, Essential Oil: Bali Beauty Benefits, Jojoba Oil: Bali Beauty Benefits, Argan Oil: Bali Beauty Benefits, and Frankincense Oil: Bali Beauty Benefits for more tips and great natural skin care ingredients.
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