In short
Lemongrass oil is steam-distilled from the grass Cymbopogon flexuosus. It is very rich in citral and gives a powerful, grassy lemon note; it is also a commercial source of natural citral.
What Lemongrass Oil smells like
Lemongrass oil has a strong, fresh, grassy, lemon-like and herbaceous odour — Arctander adds tea-like. Synthite describes it as sharp, grassy, lemony and woody; Robertet lists citrus, citral, metallic and powdery; a glossary finds it sharper than lemon and greener than verbena, with a waxy-soapy undertone. East Indian lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus), favoured in perfumery, is richer in citral; West Indian (C. citratus) leans greener and grassier.
- Leading note
- Grassy lemon
- Clear facets
- Herbaceous
- Supporting facets
- Tea-like
- Faint facets
- Earthy, woody, waxy-soapy
- Character
- Strong, sharp, dry, herbaceous
What makes Lemongrass Oil distinctive
The grass. Its lemon is citral's, but set in a dry, herbaceous, tea-like body that lemon peel and litsea do not have.
How Lemongrass Oil is used
Used as a top note for fresh, lemony-herbal effects in fragrance and functional products, and as a source of citral.
Typical role: lift (adds diffusion and radiance, especially at the top); modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend).
How Lemongrass Oil differs from similar materials
- Citral
- Citral is the purer, sharper lemon; lemongrass adds grassy, herbaceous and tea-like notes.
- Litsea Cubeba Oil
- Litsea is sweeter and fruitier in most accounts; lemongrass is grassier and more herbaceous.
- Methyl Heptenone
- Methyl heptenone, first found in lemongrass, is its green, fruity freshness without the lemon.
- Citronella Oil (Java)
- Citronella is rosier and more citronellal-led, a lemony-green; lemongrass is citral lemon with a dry, grassy body.
- Melissa Oil
- Lemongrass oil is commonly used to imitate melissa; melissa is softer and more herbal, with mint-like and honeyed nuances. (compared directly by a cited source)
An asterisk marks a difference that a cited source states directly. The others compare the published descriptions of each material. Smell varies with grade, supplier and dilution; compare them side by side on blotters before substituting one for another.
Formulation considerations
Its high citral content makes it a significant contributor to citral, which is a restricted and declarable allergenic material; calculate citral from the supplier's composition when using it.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Essential oil
- Origin
- Natural
- Odour family
- Citrus / Green
- Note position
- Top note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Liquid
- Also known as
- Lemongrass essential oil
- Botanical source
- Cymbopogon flexuosus (Nees ex Steud.) W.Watson
- CAS number
- 8007-02-1
The CAS number was checked on 19 October 2026 against a PubChem substance record that gives it for this material. A natural material is a mixture, so it has no single formula; its composition varies with origin and processing.
Safety and compliance
This page is general information, not a safety assessment or a specification. Confirm identity, composition, IFRA status and allergen content from your supplier's documents for the lot you hold.
Materials it works with
-
Litsea Cubeba Oil
Essential oil · Citrus / Fruity — lemon, sweet, fruity, fresh
-
Ginger Oil
Essential oil · Spicy / Citrus — spicy, warm, lemony, woody
-
Citral
Aroma chemical · Citrus / Green — lemon, sharp, fresh, green
-
Geranium Oil
Essential oil · Floral / Green — rosy, green, minty, fresh
Lemongrass Oil is also suggested as a partner on the pages for Citronella Oil (Java), Lemon Eucalyptus Oil, Lemon Myrtle Oil, Lemon Verbena Oil and Methyl Heptenone.
Used in formulas and accords
Used in 2 published formulas
Lemongrass Oil is an ingredient in 2 perfume formulas in the Formula & Accord Library.
RUŌOD House Originals
Original compositions by RUŌOD House.
Further reading
Questions about Lemongrass Oil
Is Lemongrass Oil natural or synthetic?
Lemongrass Oil is natural. It is a volatile oil obtained from plant material by steam distillation or, for citrus peels, by cold expression.
What is the CAS number of Lemongrass Oil?
8007-02-1, the registry number for the essential oil as a substance rather than a single molecule. It was checked against PubChem on 19 October 2026.
Which published formulas use Lemongrass Oil?
Lemongrass Oil is used in 2 published formulas in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library: Lime Bruise and Mate Field. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.
Sources
- PubChem — substance 479825027, checked 19 October 2026.
- The Good Scents Company — lemongrass oil (quoting Arctander, Synthite and Robertet) — odour database.
- Premiere Peau — Lemongrass — published perfumery reference.
- Eden Botanicals — Lemongrass, organic — distributor's description.
- Olfactory profile: the RUŌOD Lab team's synthesis of the published descriptions above, reviewed 20 October 2026. Evidence: several independent published descriptions, which agree. Classification and the short description: revision 1. Descriptions of odour are judgement, not measurement.