Lemongrass Essential Oil Supplier Malaysia

Lemongrass Essential Oil is a therapeutic-grade oil steam-distilled from the aerial parts of Cymbopogon citratus or Cymbopogon flexuosus (lemongrass), presenting as light yellow to pale yellow with a reflection of reddish-brown colour. Rich in citral (geranial + neral, 65–85%), Lemongrass Oil delivers a powerful, fresh, bright, lemony-herbal-earthy aroma and is one of the most widely used essential oils in Southeast Asia — both for its culinary connections and its potent antimicrobial, insect-repellent, and deodorising properties.

Serai (lemongrass) is a deeply familiar and beloved plant in Malaysian culture — used in cooking, traditional medicine, and as a natural cleansing ingredient — giving Lemongrass Oil uniquely strong local market resonance.

Applications:

Aromatherapy (energising, deodorising, uplifting, and insect-repellent diffuser blends)
Personal Care (deodorants, body washes, foot care, insect-repellent formulations)
Massage (muscle toning and circulatory massage blends, sports recovery formulations)
Fine Fragrance & Flavouring (citrusy-herbal note in fresh fragrances and food flavouring)

Key Features & Benefits:

Light yellow to pale yellow – authentic lemongrass essential oil
No animal substance – suitable for vegan and Halal-compliant formulations
High citral – potent antimicrobial, antifungal, and insect-repellent properties
Deeply familiar Malaysian cultural ingredient (serai)
Powerful deodorising and freshening character for personal care

Two species, one name

Lemongrass oil comes from Cymbopogon citratus (West Indian type) or Cymbopogon flexuosus (East Indian type). Both are rich in citral, but they differ in minor components and in how they behave in formulations, so confirm the species on the specification rather than accepting “lemongrass”.

Citral: the value and the limit

Citral gives lemongrass its strength and its lemon character, and it is also why the oil needs care. Citral is a recognised skin sensitiser: its use in fragrances is restricted under IFRA standards, and it is a declarable allergen, alongside geraniol, limonene and linalool, in the EU and markets that follow its rules. Calculate the citral contributed by the oil at your use level and check it against the limit for your product category.

Formulation notes

Citral is unstable under light, heat and acidic conditions, where it degrades and loses its fresh character. Keep the oil sealed, cool and dark, add it late in the process, and test the finished product for colour and odour stability. It is not water-soluble and needs a solubiliser in aqueous systems. For insect-repellent blends it is often paired with Citronella Oil.

What the research says

On volunteers’ forearms, lemongrass oil in olive oil gave 98.8% protection from Culex mosquitoes for 170 minutes. DEET 20% gave 155–182 minutes. [1]
Against Aedes aegypti, the dengue mosquito, the herbal repellents in that study lasted only 10.5–88.7 minutes. [1]
In a Cameroon field study, volunteers treated with lemongrass oil were protected for an average of 125 minutes. [2]
In Bolivia, people sitting next to someone wearing 30% lemongrass repellent received 26% more mosquito landings. Repellents may shift bites to non-users. [3]

These summaries describe published research on the ingredient. They are not claims for any finished product; claims on finished products must meet the rules of the market where they are sold.

References

Soonwera M, Phasomkusolsil S. Efficacy of Thai herbal essential oils as green repellent against mosquito vectors. Acta Trop. 2015;142:127-30. doi:10.1016/j.actatropica.2014.11.010
Akeumbiwo Tchumkam C, et al. Chemical composition and repellent activity of essential oils of Tithonia diversifolia (Asteraceae) leaves against the bites of Anopheles coluzzii. Sci Rep. 2023;13(1):6001. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-31791-6
Moore SJ, et al. Are mosquitoes diverted from repellent-using individuals to non-users? Results of a field study in Bolivia. Trop Med Int Health. 2007;12(4):532-9. doi:10.1111/j.1365-3156.2006.01811.x

What to ask for on the certificate of analysis