CITRONELLA (Cymbopogon Nardus)

 Used to keep insects away, an energizing oil great for oily skin.

This is a lovely citrus oil, very invigorating and ideal to use in the morning, when you are lacking in energy or feeling hungover.  Simply use 4 drops in an oil burner or place onto a radiator magnet.

This oil is also well known for keeping insects away.  Make yourself a room spray, get a clean plant spray bottle fill it with water and add 20- 30 drops of Citronella.  This is a wonderful roomspray to rid your home of unwanted smells such as cigarette smoke, last nights cooking smells and also keeps the insects at bay.

Citronella is especially good on oily skin, which is prone to spots.  Add 1-2 drops of Citronella to face cream and apply to the area.

Some gardeners use Citronella to deter cats from digging in their potted plants.

You can use Citronella in a spray to keep insects off horses - can also try adding Tea Tree or Eucalyptus to it.  It works well as a fly spray in particular and is much cheaper than commercial sprays.

When camping or eating outside I place 6-10 drops of Citronella in a bowl of hot water placed under the table and find it deters wasps and mosquitoes.