In this new series of blog posts, we will be focusing on some of the individual ingredients in Siam Botanicals products, looking into their provenance and talking about their amazing properties and the therapeutic skin care benefits they provide. First up is one of our signature ingredients, Lemongrass (Cymbopogon).
Lemongrass is a fast-growing perennial grass native to India and tropical Asia and is an extremely popular herb in Thai cuisine, used fresh or in powdered or dried form to give a citrus kick to curries and soups. It is thought to have immune-boosting properties and is often combined with other health-giving ingredients such as chillies, coconut milk, garlic, galangal, turmeric and coriander, making Thai cuisine one of the healthiest there is!
Lemongrass is native to India and tropical Asia
Lemongrass essential oil has a refreshing, pungent citrus scent with hay-like top notes and grassy undertones. Its uplifting and energising properties make it a popular choice in aromatherapy, helping to relieve the symptoms of jetlag and to combat stress-related conditions. Its analgesic properties have long made it a popular choice in traditional Thai herbal treatments, where it is used to soothe headaches and stiff muscles. As well as boasting antiseptic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antifungal properties, the oil is also mildly astringent, making it useful as a skin-cleansing agent that can help control oily skin and reduce acne and blemishes.
Our lemongrass essential oil is distilled from both East Indian lemongrass (Cymbopogon Flexuosus) and West Indian lemongrass (Cymbopogon Citratus). Its amazing properties make it a key ingredient in many of our products, including our Rudis Oleum Day and Night Formulas, several of our massage and body oils (‘Siam Roots’, ‘Refresh’ and ‘Rejuvenate’), and our ‘Refreshing’ bath salts.
Thanks to its exceptional cleansing properties, it is also the star ingredient in two of our most popular personal care products – our Lemongrass Shampoo and Lemongrass Body Wash. There’s nothing better than the fresh, invigorating scent of lemongrass to wake you up in the morning!
This wondrous oil is also an effective insect repellent and can be found in our DEET-free bug spray. Now you can even keep those mozzies at bay the natural way!
All of the above products can be purchased on our website, as can our pure lemongrass essential oil.
Note: Essential should be used with a ceramic oil burner to release their fragrances, or as directed by your aromatherapist. They are for external use only and should not be applied directly to the skin in undiluted form.
Sources http://thaifood.about.com/od/introtothaicooking/a/healthbenefits.htm http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/natural-medicine/aromatherapy/aromatherapy-lemongrass.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cymbopogon http://www.essentialoils.co.za/essential-oils/lemongrass.htm