Palmarosa Essential Oil: 3 Remarkable Benefits and 7 Simple Uses

Palmarosa Essential Oil is extracted from a sweet-smelling grass located in the forest regions of India. Its grass is known for its medicinal properties in Southeast Asia and serves as a potent insect repellent. The grass structure of this plant is very similar to lemongrass and citronella, which is quite obvious since both kinds of grass are close kin to palmarosa.

This Essential oil is best known for its rosy scent and skin-care properties, which is why it is commonly used in soaps and cosmetics as a base ingredient. From cosmetics, to aromatherapy, to therapeutic uses, this specific essential oil is a great addition to your home essentials. To learn more about its various uses, read below.

1 – Acne Relief

Among the worst skin conditions that leave scars on your face is chronic acne. Almost everyone experiences a phase in their life wherein acne creates havoc on their once blemish-free skin. This is especially common among teenagers, but others may experience acne even deep into their 30s and 40s. Although chemical-based acne astringent solutions are potent and effective for some people, they are expensive and filled with harsh chemicals that can harm the skin.

Furthermore, many store-bought acne products lead to more severe breakouts when their use is discontinued, causing dependence on the chemicals in the product indefinitely. This is also not a good solution, especially if you have sensitive skin, which is why many people are now switching to natural-based products. Not only that, but our bodies do absorb what we expose them to, and that’s a scary thought.

Natural solutions for acne are wide-ranging and oftentimes dependent upon your skin type as well as the severity of the condition. Palmarosa essential oil has natural antiseptic properties which can help fight the bacteria that causes acne. One study published in the Asian Journal of Beauty and Cosmetology found that the 21 participants involved in the study had significantly lower skin oil content, healthier pores, and major improvement with their acne after an 8 week period using palmarosa oil, a mixture of palmarosa and tea tree oil, or just tea tree oil. All three groups showed improvement, but the combination of palmarosa and tea tree oil showed the best results.

Now, it’s always recommended to use your essential oils diluted with a good carrier oil first. You could use coconut, avocado, or sunflower oil if you have normal skin. However, if you have oily skin, be sure to use a high linoleic oil like safflower oil, grapeseed oil, hemp oil, or rosehip oil. Also, Jojoba oil has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties (source), so it’s a good choice as well.

Recipe: Palmarosa and Tea Tree Acne Ointment Blend

Try this wonderful solution that uses palmarosa by mixing the following ingredients:

• 5ml of sunflower oil
• 1 drop of wheat germ oil
• 3 drops of palmarosa oil
• 1 drop of tea tree oil

Blend all ingredients and empty the solution into a glass bottle or any other container of your choice. Apply the blended solution by massaging it on your face twice a day, morning and night.

2 – General Skin Care

This essential oil not only can help with alleviating acne but can also diminish old acne scars and wrinkles. This is a great oil for supporting optimal skin health, and it is popularly used as a skin care ingredient. To incorporate this essential oil into your regular skin care regimen, mix a few drops of it into any one of your regular skin creams.

As noted earlier, this particular oil has an excellently sweet and rosy smell. Furthermore, it’s not photosensitizing and is considered safe so long as it’s used correctly (diluted, not ingested, etc.). This essential oil can be used in many of the homemade skin care solutions and recipes we have here at Enticingly Simple, they include:

• Natural Body Wash Recipes
• Homemade Bar Soap Recipes
• Natural Face Wash Recipes
• Manuka Honey Skin Healing Recipes

Palmarosa oil is a very capable option for just about any general skin care application since it has no negative effects when used correctly.

3 – Palmarosa for Relaxation

Aromatherapy With a Diffuser:

As you already know from another recent post, essential oils are widely used to reduce anxiety and stress. In that post, where we listed 12 essential oils oftentimes used for anxiety, rose oil is listed as one popular option. Since palmarosa has a very sweet and rosy smell , this oil is also often used for relaxation purposes as well.

You can reap the relaxative benefits of this oil by putting at least 2 drops in a diffuser or vaporizer. Whenever studies have been done with diffusing oils, lower concentrations of oils always seem to work better. So, it will only take a few drops of oil in the diffuser, don’t overdo it.

Aromatherapy With Bath Salts:

If you want to use this oil in the bath, be sure to use a salt emulsifier. All that means is that you should make your own bath salts so that the oil dissolves and disperses in your bathwater instead of merely creating an undiluted oil sheen on the water’s surface.

To make bath salts, use a quality sea salt or Epsom salt mixed with 20-40 drops of essential oils (depending on how much salt you’re using).  Then, let the mixture rest for a few hours before use. After you make your first batch of bath salts, the salt will absorb the essential oils and cause them to effectively disperse throughout your bath water when used. Also, 1 cup of bath salts will last a very long time since you’ll only need a few small spoonfuls at most for each bath.

Aromatherapy Massage:

This essential oil can also be mixed with a carrier oil to make an excellent massage oil. For great anxiolytic benefits, create a palmarosa oil blend utilizing other essential oils known to reduce anxiety. For a list of which oils to use for relaxation, see the post we referenced earlier.

To list a few, lavender, frankincense, and bergamot oil are excellent selections for this purpose. Be sure to always mix your essential oils with a carrier oil before using them as a massage oil. Massage carrier oil selections include jojoba oil, almond oil, fractionated coconut oil, olive oil, and others. Also, you can use body butter for massage as well.

Hair mask

You can use this wonderful oil as a hair mask to moisturize your dry hair and fight bacteria on the scalp. To do this, add 7-8 drops with 3 tablespoons of warm olive or jojoba oil (which is known to be very beneficial to the hair). Mix the oils together and pour some of it in your palms. Apply the mixture to your hair by massaging it into your scalp.

Don’t forget to massage the mixture starting from the scalp all the way up to the ends of your hair. After all the hair is covered with the mixture, wrap it in a towel or plastic wrap. Leave it on for at least an hour or you can leave it overnight for best results. Wash and condition the hair after use. You’ll notice that your hair feels soft and moisturized after each application. You can also palmarosa to your favorite homemade leave-in conditioner.

Wrap-Up

Well, as you can see from what we’ve discussed so far, palmarosa is a very versatile essential oil indeed. While it’s scent really is quite amazing, it does actually have many positive benefits that can be reaped from its use. Also, not to sound like a broken record, whenever you use anything as potent as an essential oil, be sure to use it correctly.

If you’re new to oils, I highly recommend that you read the following 2 posts which go into great depth about how to buy quality oils and how to use them correctly.

• Important EO Facts to Know Before You Buy
• How to Use Essential Oils Safely

If you need even more ideas about how you can use palmarosa oil, check out the following two posts:

• Seasonal Essential Oil Blends (Summer or Spring Blend)
• Homemade Dish Soap (Great option since it has antibacterial properties)

Well, that just about wraps things up folks, I hope you enjoy every oil selection we recommend to you. It really is an amazing feeling when you can bring a little bit of nature into your home rather than chemicals and other harmful pollutants. Enjoy your oils!

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