Palmarosa (Cymbopogon martinii)
Palmarosa is a rosy, grassy single oil in the lemongrass family, valued topically for supporting healthy-looking, hydrated skin.
How to use it
3–5 drops gives a bright, uplifting floral-green scent that pairs well with citrus or rose.
Dilute to 2–4% in a carrier oil — common in facial skin-care blends.
Safety in detail
- Max dermal use
- Dilute in a carrier oil for skin
- Phototoxic
- No
- Generally gentle and well tolerated; it's very high in geraniol, a recognised fragrance allergen, so patch-test if sensitive.
- Not phototoxic. Keep out of reach of children.
Sources: Pharmaceutics study (2025)
Composition & chemistry
Aggregated from 13 GC-MS samples across 5 peer-reviewed open-access studies (2018–2026). Figures are the distribution across those samples — median with interquartile range — not a single reading.
- Oxygenated monoterpene 81.1%
- Monoterpene hydrocarbon 15.7%
- Sesquiterpene hydrocarbon 1.4%
- Unclassified 0.8%
- Phenylpropanoid / aromatic 0.5%
- Aliphatic / small aromatic 0.2%
- Oxygenated sesquiterpene 0.2%
- Aliphatic / other 0.1%
| Constituent | Median | Typical range | Max | Detected in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| geraniol ↗ C10H18O | 50.7% | 34.9–66.5% | 82.3% | |
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| geranial ↗ C10H16O | 7.6% | 4.0–11.2% | 14.8% | |
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| carveol ↗ C10H16O | 7.5% | 6.0–9.0% | 10.6% | |
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| geranyl acetate ↗ C12H20O2 | 7.3% | 6.1–8.6% | 9.8% | |
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| trans-piperitol ↗ C10H18O | 6.8% | 6.7–6.9% | 7.0% | |
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| carvone ↗ C10H14O | 4.0% | 3.7–4.3% | 4.6% | |
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| limonene ↗ C10H16 | 3.0% | 2.4–3.5% | 3.9% | |
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| linalool ↗ C10H18O | 2.5% | 2.3–2.6% | 2.6% | |
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| myrcene ↗ C10H16 | 2.0% | 1.1–2.9% | 3.6% | |
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| cis-dihydrocarvone ↗ C10H16O | 1.6% | 1.1–2.2% | 2.8% | |
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| γ-terpinene ↗ C10H16 | 0.9% | 0.6–1.2% | 1.5% | |
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| (e)-β-ocimene ↗ C10H16 | 0.6% | 0.4–4.1% | 7.6% | |
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+ 45 more compounds reported across the dataset.
5 peer-reviewed sources behind these figures
- Romero AK, Portillo DJ, Beltrán SB, Sierra LJ, Álvarez CA, Ramírez KJ, Martínez JR, Stashenko EE. (2023). Enhanced Two-Step Extraction from Biomass of Two Cymbopogon Species Cultivated in Santander, Colombia. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland).
- Sonigra P, Meena M. (2025). Influence of growth stage on the chemical composition, antimicrobial, and antioxidant potential of <i>Cymbopogon martinii</i> (Roxb.) Wats. essential oil. Frontiers in plant science.
- Dangol S, Poudel DK, Ojha PK, Maharjan S, Poudel A, Satyal R, Rokaya A, Timsina S, Dosoky NS, Satyal P, Setzer WN. (2023). Essential Oil Composition Analysis of Cymbopogon Species from Eastern Nepal by GC-MS and Chiral GC-MS, and Antimicrobial Activity of Some Major Compounds. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland).
- Sonigra P, Meena M, Yadav G. (2026). Exploring the cellular and ultrastructural impact of Cymbopogon martinii essential oil against postharvest fungal pathogens of papaya. Scientific reports.
- Kalagatur NK, Nirmal Ghosh OS, Sundararaj N, Mudili V. (2018). Antifungal Activity of Chitosan Nanoparticles Encapsulated With Cymbopogon martinii Essential Oil on Plant Pathogenic Fungi Fusarium graminearum. Frontiers in pharmacology.
Every figure above traces to a named table in one of these open-access papers. How this was built →
- Geraniol — the dominant rose-scented alcohol; the source of palmarosa's aroma and its documented antibacterial activity in vitro Pharmaceutics study (2025)
Its rose-like scent has long been used to stretch or substitute for far pricier rose oil.
What the research says
An honest read of the published research — what has actually been studied, at what stage. Not medical advice or a promise of results.
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Palmarosa oil and its dominant constituent geraniol have been studied for antibacterial activity in the laboratory. These are in-vitro findings, not evidence it treats infections in people.
Pharmaceutics study (2025)
Evidence & sources
Peer-reviewed research on Palmarosa's chemistry and safety. These describe composition and documented effects — not health or treatment claims.
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Palmarosa is one of the richest natural sources of geraniol, typically making up around 75–85% of the oil — the basis of both its rosy aroma and its studied antibacterial activity.
Pharmaceutics study (2025)
Frequently asked questions
Why does palmarosa smell like roses if it's a grass?
Palmarosa is extremely high in geraniol, the same rose-scented alcohol found in rose and geranium oils. That's why a grass can smell so floral — and why it's sometimes used to extend or imitate rose. Pharmaceutics study (2025)
Is palmarosa safe on skin?
Yes, when diluted — it's a gentle, popular skincare oil. Because it's so high in geraniol (a recognised allergen), patch-test first if your skin reacts easily. Pharmaceutics study (2025)
Is palmarosa phototoxic?
No — palmarosa isn't phototoxic, so there's no sun-exposure restriction. Just dilute it for topical use as usual.
Gallery
The plant & source
Palmarosa (Cymbopogon martinii) is a wild-growing grass native to India, closely related to lemongrass and citronella, and cultivated widely across the subcontinent as well as in Madagascar, the Comoros, and Brazil. Historically the dried grass was traded through Indian ports to European perfume houses, sometimes marketed under names like “Indian” or “Turkish” geranium oil because of its rose-like scent.
How it’s extracted
The essential oil is steam-distilled from the grass, similar to how lemongrass and citronella are processed, though palmarosa’s chemistry pulls its aroma in a much sweeter, rosier direction than either of those relatives.
Aroma
Light, sweet, and slightly green, with an unmistakable rose-like quality — close enough to true rose that palmarosa has long been used to stretch or substitute for the far more expensive rose oil in perfumery.
Traditional & everyday uses
In the diffuser: 3–5 drops gives a bright, uplifting floral-green scent that pairs well with citrus or true rose.
On skin: dilute to 2–4% in a carrier oil. Palmarosa is considered one of the gentler grass-family oils and is a common ingredient in facial skin-care blends aimed at supporting hydration and a healthy-looking complexion.
Safety note
Patch-test before regular use, as with any new topical oil.
Found in these blends
Palmarosa is one of the oils inside 1 Young Living blend.