Citronella essential oil is steam-distilled from the leaves and stems of Cymbopogon nardus or Cymbopogon winterianus — two varieties of grass native to tropical Asia. It has a fresh, citrus-forward, slightly grassy scent that most people recognize immediately, even if they don’t know it by name. It’s the smell of a citronella candle, of warm evenings outdoors, of something clean and green and a little sharp.
In soap and personal care products, citronella is used as a natural fragrance component. It blends well with other citrus oils — lemon, lemongrass, orange — and with herbaceous and woodsy notes like cedarwood, peppermint, and geranium. It’s often part of blends designed for outdoor use or for products meant to feel fresh and functional rather than floral or sweet.
Citronella is also well known for its insect-repelling properties. The compounds responsible — primarily citronellal, geraniol, and citronellol — are naturally occurring constituents that deter mosquitoes and other insects. This makes it a popular choice in outdoor lotion bars, balms, and soaps where some level of natural deterrence is a desirable quality.
Like most citrus and citrus-adjacent essential oils, citronella’s top notes are bright but relatively fleeting in cold process soap, where the alkaline environment of saponification can soften volatile scent compounds over time. It performs best in blends with anchoring base notes that help hold the overall scent through the cure.
Here are a few of our products that use this ingredient:
