Benefits Of Citronella Oil

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Tuesday, November 13th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed

Citronella oil is used for a variety of things besides aromatherapy oils. It is probably best known as a repellent of mosquitos and it can be used through candles, body sprays, air diffusers or burners. This article will cover what citronella is, how the essential oil is extracted and some of the benefits of citronella oil.

Citronella essential oil is extracted through steam distillation of the fresh or dried grass of the Managrass. This is a naturally occurring wild grass indigenous to Sri Lanka. It is often used in combination with other essential oils to tone down the smell. For example, using a combination of peppermint and citronella essential oils is often recommended to keep mosquitoes away. The best pure citronella essential oils are generally found in small bottles that are not labeled “For use in Oil Lamps only.” Burning oils are generally more diluted and considerably cheaper than pure citronella essential oil.

The smell of citronella is unique and is often something you love or hate. If you love it then you you can use it for more things than simply insect repellent. There are many therapeutic benefits to smelling the oil and including it in massage, steam inhalations or oil lamps or diffusers. Citronella is said to promote happiness and keep you calm. For physical ailments, a hot compress or a massage with a few drops of citronella essential oil added can sooth aching joints. It can have beneficial affects on common colds and flu. It can also relieve headaches and migraines. In Chinese medicine it is seen as a relief against rheumatic pain.

Other essential oils that really go well with citronella are lemon, lavender, tea tree, peppermint, geranium, orange and cedarwood. Aromatherapy oils shouldn’t be used by pregnant women. This applies to citronella oil. If you are planning to use a blend of citronella oil on the skin then it is advisable to test for any allergic reaction or skin irritation by doing a patch test first. This means applying a drop of the oil to your wrist or another part of your body. Leave it 24 hours to see if there is any adverse reaction. If all is well, then use the oil on the rest of your body.

Those of Pagan persuasion know that scents have a way of bringing certain energies about. These scents are like lightning rods – they attract or deter certain energies. Citronella essential oil is used in modern magic spells to deter anything. It can be argued that it isn’t the citronella oil that does the magic; it’s just the magician’s heightened sense of awareness about keeping away from undesired elements. However citronella works, it serves as a focus of the magician’s personal power to activate a spell.

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