Palmarosa Essential Oil

Latin (Botanical) Name:   Cymbopogon martinii

Plant Family:   Poaceae

Common Extraction Method:  Steam distillation

Typically Used Plant Part:   Grass

Color:   Pale yellow

Aromatic Characteristic:   Fresh, floral and sweet aroma

 

Once called "Indian" or "Turkish" Sardinian oil, Palmarosa's homeland stretched as far as the Red Sea's Mumbai shipping ports. Later, it started to be transported by land to Constantinople and Bulgaria to be diluted with rose oil.

It was used in Ayurvedic practices to treat conditions ranging from bronchitis and other respiratory ailments to fever and jaundice. In traditional Chinese medicine, palmarosa oil was believed to support the body's moisturizing and cooling functions. For this reason, it was used for the treatment of inflammatory conditions.

It is not known when it first reached Europe, but after it was brought, it was used in the manufacture of soaps, cosmetics and perfumes due to its scent.

Palmarosa comes from the same grass family as lemongrass and citronella. It is a grassy and tufted, perennial herb that can grow up to 3 meters tall. Although native to India, it is now cultivated all over the world. It thrives in particularly humid, tropical conditions and is widely cultivated in the wetlands of India, Nepal, and Vietnam. Its essential oil contains a high proportion of geraniol, one of the primary aroma components in rose oil.

      KEY COMPONENTS / ACTIVE INGREDIENTS

• Geraniol
• Geranyl acetate
• Linalool
• beta-Caryophyllene
• Farnesol

      BENEFITS

• Skin friendly [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6].

It shows antioxidant characteristic. It is considered an excellent skin balancing oil for all skin types. By penetrating deep into the skin cells, it helps to preserve moisture, nourish the skin and make it look healthy. It also helps to balance the sebum and oil production of the skin, thus preventing acne.

 

• It shows antibacterial and antimicrobial characteristics thanks to its geraniol component [1] [4] [5] [6] [7].

• It shows antifungal characteristic [4]:

Thanks to its antifungal characteristic, it helps to reduce fungi.

 

• Anti-Pest [8] [9] [10]:

Palmarosa oil helps to repel and kill insects / flys thanks to its geraniol component.

 

      WARNINGS

• IT IS AN ESSENTIAL OIL, DIRECT APPLICATION MAY CAUSE SKIN IRRITATION. Always dilute essential oils in a carrier oil before applying topically. You can do a patch test before using the oil if you want to make sure it doesn't irritate your skin.
• FOR EXTERNAL USE, NON-DRINKABLE.
• Avoid contact with eyes, in case of contact rinse with plenty of water.
• Do not use the product if you have a known allergy to any of its ingredients.
• It is recommended that children, pregnant or breastfeeding women, people using medication should consult their doctor before using palmarosa oil.

 

      ACADEMIC STUDIES

[1] P. Promila (2018). A review on the medicinal and aromatic PlantCymbopogon martinii (Roxb.) Watson (Palmarosa). International Journal of Chemical Studies 2018; 6(2): 1311-1315.

[2] S. Sinha, D. Biswas, A. Mukherjee (2011). Antigenotoxic and antioxidant activities of palmarosa and citronella essential oils. J Ethnopharmacol, 2011 Oct 11;137(3):1521-7.

[3] Lawrence K, Charan A. Antioxidant activity of Palmarosa essential oil (Cymbopogon martini) grown in north Indian plains. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine. 2012; 2(2):5888-5891.

[4] Mishra PK, Kedia A, Dubey NK. Chemically characterized Cymbopogon martinii (Roxb.) Wats. Essential oil for shelf life enhancer of herbal raw materials based on antifungal, antiaflatoxigenic, antioxidant activity and favourable safety profile. Plant Biosystems-An International Journal Dealing with All Aspects of Plant Biology. 2015; 150(6):1313-1322.

[5] Lodhia MH, Bhatt KR, Thaker VS. Antibacterial activity of essential oils from palmarosa, evening primrose, lavender and tuberose. Indian J Pharm Sci. 2009; 71(2):134-136.

[6] Prashara A, Hili P, Veness RG, Evans CS. Antimicrobial action of palmarosa oil (Cymbopogon martinii) on Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Phytochemistry, 2003; 63(5):569-575.

[7] Duarte MC, Leme EE, Delarmelina C, Soares AA, Figueira GM, Sartoratto A. Activity of essential oils from Brazilian medicinal plants on Escherichia coli. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2007; 111(2):197-201

[8] Chen W, Viljoen AM. Geraniol-a review of a commercially important fragrance material. South African Journal of Botany. 2010; 76(4):643-651.

[9] Kumar R,Srivastava M and Dubey NK.Evaluation of Cymbopogon martini oil extract for control of post harvest insect deterioration in cereals and legumes. J of Food Protection 2007:70;172-178.

[10] Das MK, Ansari MA. Evaluation of repellent action of Cymbopogon martinii Stapf var sofia oil against Anopheles sundaicus in tribal villages of Car Nicobar Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. J Vector Borne Dis. 2003; 40:100-104.