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Cymbopogon citratus

Lemongrass oil (West Indian)

Under the IFRA Standards a rinse-off soap may hold up to 1.64 % of this oil, a limit set by its Citral.

IFRA maximum for soap

1.64 % at most, of the soap

Restricted constituents, at the typical levels IFRA's annex gives:

Citral
73 %
Geraniol
2.3 %
(E) 3,7-Dimethyl-3,6-octadienal (iso-Geranial)
1.2 %
(Z) 3,7-Dimethyl-3,6-octadienal (iso-Neral)
1 %
Isoeugenol
0.5 %
Citronellal
0.3 %
Eugenol
0.2 %

Worked out from typical levels. A supplier's certificate for your lot comes first, and its figure is the one to follow.

Check a blend against its IFRA limits and list its allergens in the fragrance and allergen calculator.

How essential oils behave in soap, and how much to use: Scenting soap.

Identity and labelling

Cymbopogon Citratus Leaf Oil

Botanical name
Cymbopogon citratus
CAS
89998-14-1
EC
289-752-0

The EU names this oil itself as a fragrance allergen (Regulation (EU) 2023/1545, Annex III entry 354): it goes on the label by name above 0.01 % in a rinse-off product.

What it is and how it behaves in soap

West Indian lemongrass oil is steam-distilled from Cymbopogon citratus, the lemongrass of South-East Asian cooking, and it is mostly citral (SCCS). It smells much like the East Indian oil; in 1908 Simmons and Appleton noted that the two differ in solubility and price, the Indian oil being preferred.

What our books say of lemongrass applies to both: it lasts in cold process soap and anchors lighter citrus (Faiola), and it boosts other citrus scents (Grosso). Faiola's recipes run lemongrass from 2 to nearly 6 % of the oils, but citral holds the IFRA figure on this page far lower. That figure is the ceiling, so use lemongrass as part of a blend.

Citral is a skin sensitiser, and Cable notes lemongrass irritates some skin. Whatever older recipe titles suggest, a lemongrass soap keeps no insects away.

Sources

All essential oils