Lemongrass
Lemongrass oil has limited evidence: a 30-person split-head trial found hair tonics with 5 to 15% lemongrass oil cut dandruff scores by about half to four-fifths in two weeks, and small pilot trials of its antifungal use are mixed. The oil is a recognised skin allergen, so dilute it and patch-test before you use it.
Drinking lemongrass tea did not relieve anxiety or improve sleep in the one controlled human study we found, and we found no trial for digestion.
At a glance
Last reviewed 10 October 2026What it's used for
Evidence is rated per use. The same ingredient can be strong for one thing and traditional for another.
| Use | Evidence | What the research shows |
|---|---|---|
| Dandruff (hair tonic with lemongrass oil)Compare remedies for hair & nails → | Limited | In 30 Thai volunteers with moderate dandruff, a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled split-head trial found that a twice-daily tonic with 5, 10 or 15% Cymbopogon flexuosus oil reduced dandruff scores by 33%, 75% and 51% at day 7, and by 52%, 81% and 74% at day 14 (p < 0.005), with the 10% tonic the most effective. It is one small, two-week study that tested a formulated tonic, not the plain oil, and we found no long-term or replicate trial.1 |
| Fungal skin and mouth infections (pityriasis versicolor, oral thrush)Compare remedies for skin → | Limited | In a pilot trial of pityriasis versicolor, 47 people received a shampoo and cream with 1.25 microlitres per ml of C. citratus oil for 40 days and the mycological cure rate was 60%, against over 80% with 2% ketoconazole; more than a third dropped out. In 90 HIV-positive people with oral thrush, a lemongrass infusion was compared with gentian violet, but the intention-to-treat analysis found no significant differences, and the positive result came only from the smaller analysis of people who finished. Laboratory antifungal studies are not treatment evidence, and we rated only the human trials.2,3 |
| Anxiety (aroma of the oil)Compare remedies for stress and anxiety → | Limited | In 40 healthy men, sniffing lemongrass oil cut state anxiety and tension before a stress test compared with water or a tea tree oil aroma, though heart-rate and muscle responses were not prevented. In 38 dental patients, inhaling lemongrass during scaling lowered anxiety scores, blood pressure and heart rate compared with no aroma, with no blinding. Both are small and brief.4,5 |
| Anxiety and sleep (tea) | Traditional | In a 1986 Brazilian study, lemongrass tea did not affect sleep in 50 volunteers and did not reduce anxiety in 18 highly anxious people under a double-blind test, even though the tea was not toxic over two weeks of daily use. This is an old, small study and its doses are not given in the abstract; it is the only human trial of the tea we found, and it was negative.6 |
How much
Ranges below are what studies used and what supplements commonly contain. They are not a recommendation for you. Start at the low end.
How people take it
Safety
Who should avoid
- Skin use of undiluted oil — lemongrass oil caused positive patch tests in 2.6% of dermatitis patients
- People with known fragrance or essential oil allergy — ask a dermatologist first
- Broken or inflamed scalp skin — no safety data; stop if it stings or reddens
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding and children — we found no safety data for the oil
- Swallowing the essential oil — the human studies were of topical use, inhalation or tea
Known interactions
Questions people ask
What are the benefits of lemongrass?
The best evidence is for dandruff: in 30 volunteers a lemongrass oil hair tonic reduced dandruff scores by about half to four-fifths in two weeks. Evidence for anxiety is weak, and the antifungal claims rest on small pilot trials with mixed results.
Is lemongrass oil good for your hair?
For dandruff, possibly. One randomised split-head trial of 30 people found a 10% lemongrass oil tonic cut dandruff by 81% in two weeks, but it is a single small study. We found no trial for hair growth, strength or shine.
Is lemongrass good for your skin?
There is limited evidence for fungal skin conditions: a pilot trial of a lemongrass oil cream and shampoo reached a 60% mycological cure rate in pityriasis versicolor, against over 80% with ketoconazole.
Lemongrass oil is also a known contact allergen, positive on patch testing in 2.6% of dermatitis patients, so dilute it and test a small area first.
Does lemongrass tea help anxiety or digestion?
The one controlled human study we found, from 1986, found that lemongrass tea did not reduce anxiety or improve sleep, although it was not toxic over two weeks. We found no trial for digestion, so the use rests on tradition.
Sources (7)
- Randomised trial (split-head) Chaisripipat W, Lourith N, Kanlayavattanakul M. Anti-dandruff Hair Tonic Containing Lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) Oil. Forsch Komplementmed. 2015.
- Pilot randomised trial Carmo ES, Pereira Fde O, Cavalcante NM, Gayoso CW, Lima Ede O. Treatment of pityriasis versicolor with topical application of essential oil of Cymbopogon citratus (DC) Stapf - therapeutic pilot study. An Bras Dermatol. 2013.
- Randomised trial Wright SC, Maree JE, Sibanyoni M. Treatment of oral thrush in HIV/AIDS patients with lemon juice and lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus) and gentian violet. Phytomedicine. 2009.
- Randomised trial Goes TC, Ursulino FR, Almeida-Souza TH, Alves PB, Teixeira-Silva F. Effect of Lemongrass Aroma on Experimental Anxiety in Humans. J Altern Complement Med. 2015.
- Randomised trial Maybodi FR, Herandi V, Vaezpour MS. Effect of aromatherapy with lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) on the anxiety of patients undergoing scaling and root planning: a randomized clinical trial. BMC Complement Med Ther. 2025.
- Controlled human study Leite JR, Seabra Mde L, Maluf E, et al. Pharmacology of lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus Stapf). III. Assessment of eventual toxic, hypnotic and anxiolytic effects on humans. J Ethnopharmacol. 1986.
- Patch-test surveillance Geier J, Schubert S, Reich K, et al. Contact sensitization to essential oils: IVDK data of the years 2010-2019. Contact Dermatitis. 2022.
Last reviewed 10 October 2026 · Next review April 2027 · How we rate evidence
Reader notes
Experiences and questions from readers, read by an editor before they appear. They are personal accounts, not evidence, and are not medical advice.