Citronella 
Botanical Name: Cymbopogon winterianus
Main Constituents:
Geraniol: 18 - 25%
Citronellol: 8 - 14%
Citronellal: 31 - 40%
Plant Part: Leaves
Origin: Indonesia
Processing Method: Steam Distilled
Description / Color / Consistency: A clear light yellow to brownish liquid.
Aromatic Summary / Note / Strength of Aroma: A top note of medium aroma, Citronella has a well-rounded lemony scent, though it is much softer and has subtle wood tones.
Blends well with: Bergamot, Orange, Cedarwood, Geranium, Lemon, Lavender and Pine.
Product Abstract: Citronella Oil is extracted from a resilient grass native to Sri Lanka and Java. It is a very aromatic perennial that grows approximately 1 meter (3 feet) in height. It is often used in combination with Cedarwood to produce pleasant-smelling patio candles and torches.
 
Our organic Citronella from India is distilled from a perennial grass, Cymbopogon winterianus – also known as the Java type – that is considered superior for use in perfumery because of its fresh, sweet, lemony aroma.1 Cymbopogon nardus (known as the Ceylon type) is commonly used for aromatherapeutic applications for which it is well suited. This differentiation is due to the variance in their chemical compositions, mainly in their geraniol content (higher percent in the Ceylon type) and citronellal content (higher percent in the Java type)2, and also accounts for the difference in their aromas.3
 
In the 19th century, a man named Winter (supposedly an important distiller in Ceylon4) recognized the taxonomic differences between several varieties of Cymbopogon nardus and raised a separate population of the variety 'Maha Pengiri' now called C. winterianus. Upon its extensive cultivation for oil in Indonesia, it acquired the commercial name, Java Citronella.5,6
Some of you may have memories of warm summer evenings in late summer – including mosquitoes and ubiquitous Citronella candles or torches. Unfortunately, that smell memory is most likely influenced by inexpensive and widely available isolates and aroma chemicals used in such products. The fragrance of real Citronella essential oil builds on the crispness of aldehydes with notes of limonene, rosy alcohols and fruity esters – truly an oil worth revisiting. Nonetheless, it was not a suburban dream – the United States Environmental Protection Agency lists oil of Citronella as a biopesticide and an insect repellant with a non-toxic mode of action.7 It has also been the subject of a number of human studies showing its effectiveness for keeping body lice and head lice at bay.8 One of the more curious studies using Citronella oil as a bark silencer for anxious dogs is a misguided, but well-meaning strategy with obvious limitations!9
For information regarding the aromatherapeutic attributes of Citronella essential oil, please see:
L’Aromathérapie Exactement, Pierre Franchomme and Dr. Daniel Pénoël, 1990, p. 348.
Essential Oils - A Handbook for Aromatherapy Practice, 2nd ed., Jennifer Peace Rhind, 2012, pp. 202-3.
Aromatherapeutic Blending – Essential Oils in Synergy, Jennifer Peace Rhind, 2016, pp. 111, 151, 257.
The Encyclopedia of Essential Oils, Julia Lawless, 2013, pp. 75-6.
Medical Aromatherapy – Healing with Essential Oils, Kurt Schnaubelt, 1999, p. 199.
"Essential Oil Composition of Cymbopogon winterianus and Carum carvi and Their Antimicrobial Activities," A. Dzamic, A. Rancic, et al., Pharmaceutical Biology, June 2008, 46(6): 437-441, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259222851_Essential_Oil_
Composition_of_Cymbopogon_winterianus_and_Carum_carvi_and_
Their_Antimicrobial_Activities
"Preparation, Characterization, and Pharmacological Activity of Cymbopogon winterianus Jowitt ex Bor (Poaceae) Leaf Essential Oil of β-Cyclodextrin Inclusion Complexes," P. L. Santos, A. A. S. Araújo, et al., Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Vol. 2015, Article ID 502454, 12 pages, https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2015/502454/
"A Systematic Review on Biological Properties of Citronela [sic] Java Essential Oil," L. J. Quintans-Júnior, M. R. Viana Santos, et al., Recent Progress in Medicinal Plants, September 2013, 36(1): 361-387 (Chapter 15), https://www.researchgate.net/publication
/286454600_A_Systematic_Review_on_Biological_Properties_of_
Citronela_Java_Essential_Oil
"Cymbopogon essential oils: Chemical compositions and bioactivities," D. Ganjewala, International Journal of Essential Oil Therapeutics, 2009, 3:56-65, https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/b802/f23a561027
a87690c4040492ac02ff703f93.pdf
"Citronella Grass ~ a Plant Profile," J. Rose at Jeanne Rose Aromatherapy Blog, April 2017, http://jeanne-blog.com/citronella-grass-a-plant-profile/
Cautions: Dilute before use; for external use only. May cause skin irritation in some individuals, and should be avoided by those allergic to ragweed; a skin test is recommended prior to use, and contact with eyes should be avoided.