Today, planting citronella plant is becoming very popular for many homeowners. It is because of its many uses. Hence, the most popular use is to get rid of insects. However, one should be very careful as some gardeners can trick you. There are “so-called citronella” that is not true. Likewise, these are what they called Cymbopogon plant. They are not true, but just a plant with a similar scent. Therefore, it does not have the oil that makes insects go away.
The oil from the plant makes it very useful in getting rid of insects, especially mosquitoes. Therefore, like other essential oil, citronella plant has its many benefits to health. The following are essential things that you need to know about this plant and how planting it can benefit you.
1. True Benefits of the Citronella Plant
For many years even during old times, the plant is being used for many purposes that include:
- As mosquito repellent plants
- Treatment for infection
- Cure for wound
- Fight tiredness
- Improve mood
- Enhance the flavor of food
- Ingredient in perfumes
More studies are on their way to find out how this plant can help people in many ways. Below are some health benefits that are proven by science. Read on to found out more about this plant aside from being a good mosquito repellent plant.
1. Keep Insects Away
There are different studies done to find out the usefulness of this plant in preventing insect bites. Also, they use other ingredients together with citronella. First, they use it with vanilla essence, and it offers 3 hours of protection against mosquitoes. The second is using DEET that can provide longer protection. Lastly, they use fennel oil that only offers two hours of protection.
2. Fight Off Germs
Moreover, some studies show that the plant can kill some types of fungi. Hence, they are effective in treating sinusitis and other infection caused by a specific kind of fungus. As a result, the plant destroys the covering of the fungus and kills it. Also, other studies found out that oil can destroy things that are harmful to health.
3. Helps to Heal Wounds
It is good to know that the plant’s oil can speed up the healing process of wounds. Hence, it is very important for people with diabetes. Wounds heal very slowly for people with high blood sugar. However, it is still essential to ask your doctor about it before using it for your wounds. Some people may develop a terrible reaction to it.
4. Promote Weight Loss
Some studies relate smelling of citronella benefits to weight loss. Hence, it can stop you from eating more food, especially high in fat. As a result, one can experience a very slow weight gain. However, it needs more studies to find out its real benefit to losing weight.
5. Good Mood
Some studies compare the effect of oil with lavender and rosemary. Hence, they found out that lavender oil can offer a very relaxing feeling while rosemary can benefit the brain. However, the effect of the citronella may vary from one person to another. Therefore, having a good mood after smelling the scent may or may not have any good effect on a person.
6. Treatment for Pain
Women suffer every month because of monthly period signs. Mostly, women experience severe pain and other symptoms. Smelling the scent can provide a very relaxing feeling and treat pain.
7. Control Body Odor
Another great citronella benefit is to stop body odor. Its effectiveness comes from its ability to kill germs. This thing causes bad body odor. However, applying the oil directly may give you serious side effects. Therefore, it is good to use another oil like coconut to avoid skin issues.
8. Relieve Dryness
People with dry skin and scalp have higher chances of developing skin issues. Therefore, by applying oil from this plant, it can give additional moisture to the skin. As a result, it can stop dryness, flakes in the scalp, dry hair, and cure dandruff.
The plant oil is safe for people if it is used the right way. Some studies suggest that it is best to apply it to the skin and to smell the scent. However, taking its oil pure may have harmful side effects on health. Also, it is good to mix it first using carrier oil before applying it to the skin. The worse side effect is a fast heart rate that can happen to people with heart problems.
