How Do You Distill Citronella Oil?

Basic information

English name: Citronella essential oil

English alias: Citronella grass oil Cymbopogon nardus Rendle; Oil Of Citronella; Citronella oil; citronella grass oil F. cymbopogon nard. rendle; Cymbopogon winterianus, ext.; Cymbopogon winterianus Jowitt; Java citronella

CAS:73049-78-2;8000-29-1;91771-61-8

EINECS:294-954-7

Essence

It is distilled from dried grass. It smells like a combination of fruit and lavender. It is about 60 cm tall. The main producing areas are Sri Lanka, Java, Madagascar, and South Africa. Among them, Java has better quality and has only been used commercially in large quantities in this century.

Aromatic smell

It smells like mosquito repellent and has a fresh smell

Overview of essential oils: Citronella is a general term for about 55 aromatic plants of the genus Citronella in the Poaceae family. It is also called citronella grass. It is one of the common herbs and is a tall and thin plant. It is most common in South Asia. Citronella essential oil can be obtained by steam distilling the whole plant of citronella grass. Because the extraction part includes leaves and stems, it has many uses and acts on various systems of the body. It mainly has antibacterial, antiviral and immune-enhancing properties.

Specific usage: Citronella grass is more irritating than lemongrass, so it must be diluted and applied, and the proportion is even higher than lemongrass. The essential oils that must be diluted are Baicao Beef Diced, in which the "grass" is both lemongrass and citronella. Citronella essential oil is a natural fragrance for solving acne. It has the effect of regulating oil secretion and shrinking pores. It is effective for large pores, acne, oily skin, and fungal infections. It can be used for incense, application, and consumption. It must be food-grade essential oil for consumption. See the bottle label for details.

Aroma benefits: The smell of citronella is not as fresh as lemongrass. It has a strong smell, a strong earthy smell, and a slightly sweet lemon scent. It can be used as an aphrodisiac, rejuvenate, stimulate creativity, and enhance logical thinking ability. Citronella essential oil can purify the mind, boost emotions, relieve depression, boost mood, and resolve troubles. It is effective for physical and mental fatigue and neurasthenia. 

Production process of citronella essential oil

Citronella essential oil is a natural essential oil extracted from citronella plants. It has a fresh aromatic taste and various health benefits, such as reducing tension, relieving stress, and improving skin quality. This article will introduce the production process of citronella essential oil.

1. Selection and collection of citronella plants

Citronella grows in a subtropical climate and is common in Southeast Asia and India. Before producing citronella essential oil, it is necessary to select a suitable citronella plant variety for production. Usually, varieties rich in volatile oil components are selected.

When collecting, fresh citronella plants that are healthy and not contaminated by chemicals should be selected. The collection of citronella should start in the morning because the essential oil content in the plant is the highest at that time. Place the harvested lemongrass in the shade of a tree to dry it so that the surface moisture evaporates and dries, which can reduce the evaporation of the essential oil content.

2. Extraction methods of lemongrass essential oil

There are two main methods for extracting lemongrass essential oil: distillation extraction and supercritical extraction. The following is a detailed introduction to them:

(1) Distillation extraction method

Distillation is the most commonly used method for extracting lemongrass essential oil. Place the dried lemongrass in a catheter and then distill it with the help of heat or steam. After cooling, water vapor containing citronella essential oil can be collected and separated from the water and oil to obtain pure citronella essential oil.

(2) Supercritical extraction method

Supercritical extraction is also a commonly used extraction method. Supercritical extraction utilizes the characteristics of materials such as supercritical CO2 to extract citronella essential oil from the material under a certain temperature and pressure. This method has the advantages of good extraction effect, simple operation, no use of organic solvents, and easy separation to obtain high-quality citronella essential oil.

3. Preparation and storage of citronella essential oil

The prepared citronella essential oil will be cooled in a container, the residue and water will be removed, and then sealed for storage. It needs to be stored in a dry, cool place to avoid volatilization and oxidation.

In order to ensure the quality and efficacy of citronella essential oil, the following aspects need to be paid attention to:

(1) Strictly control parameters such as temperature, pressure and extraction time during the preparation process.

(2) Regularly check the quality of citronella essential oil to ensure the stability and purity of its ingredients.

(3) A small amount of space must be reserved in the storage container to release possible pressure.

In short, the preparation of high-quality citronella essential oil requires strict control of each step, and attention to storage and maintenance, so as to better exert its health benefits.