HealthWatchlist verdict: Small studies suggest that lemongrass aroma may reduce short-term anxiety in some settings. They do not establish treatment for an anxiety disorder or show that everyone will relax. The strongest findings concern brief experimental or dental situations.
Relaxation and anxiety treatment are different claims
A scent can be enjoyable without being a medicine. Research becomes useful when it asks whether the aroma improves a defined outcome beyond what happens with a comparison treatment.
This review concerns inhaled Cymbopogon citratus aroma. It does not assess lemongrass tea, swallowed oil, other Cymbopogon species or products that mix several fragrances.
The forty-person experimental study
A 2015 study allocated forty healthy male volunteers to four groups. Researchers compared two lemongrass exposures with tea tree aroma or water before a stressful colour-word task.
The lemongrass groups reported lower anxiety and tension after exposure. The task still provoked anxiety, and the researchers reported faster recovery afterwards. Physiological changes during the task were not prevented.
This is evidence about a brief experience in healthy volunteers. It does not demonstrate remission from an anxiety disorder, a lasting change in stress resilience or a substitute for treatment.
Forty people split into four groups also leaves considerable uncertainty. The result needs replication across broader populations, including women and people with persistent anxiety, before it supports a general clinical recommendation.
The dental-treatment trial
A 2025 randomised trial studied 38 people undergoing periodontal treatment. Patients exposed to lemongrass aroma had reductions in anxiety scores and some cardiovascular measurements compared with treatment without the aroma intervention.
Differences in pain, oxygen saturation and treatment satisfaction were not significant between groups. Reporting those outcomes prevents a narrow anxiety finding from becoming a claim that lemongrass makes dental treatment better in every respect.
The comparison did not include a matching alternative smell. Expectations, attention and awareness of receiving the intervention could therefore contribute, particularly to self-reported anxiety.
A larger study did not make lemongrass the winner
A study involving 350 children compared five sensory distractions during dental treatment. Lemongrass aroma was one option, alongside visual, auditory, tactile and taste-based distraction.
All groups improved on anxiety measures. Music and visual distraction performed better than the smell-based approach in the reported comparison. The study did not include an untreated group to establish how much improvement would occur without those interventions.
It is useful evidence about managing a dental visit, but it cannot establish long-term anxiety treatment. It also suggests that simpler options without fragrance may be at least as useful in that setting.
What the reviews and animal work contribute
A systematic review of inhaled aromatherapy in clinical settings found many positive studies, alongside substantial variation and reporting weaknesses. The authors could not treat the different oils, doses and settings as one standard intervention.
A favourable result for lavender or a mixture is not additional direct evidence for lemongrass. Reviews are most useful here for identifying common limitations, including short follow-up and incomplete safety reporting.
A zebrafish study investigated lemongrass preparations and their constituents, including a possible role for GABA-related signalling. Fish immersed in a test solution do not receive the same exposure as a person smelling a room fragrance.
That experiment suggests mechanisms to investigate. It does not establish that lemongrass works like a prescribed sedative in humans, and it cannot supply a human dose.
| Finding | Limit |
|---|---|
| Lower short-term anxiety scores | Not proof of sustained recovery from an anxiety disorder. |
| A lower pulse during a dental visit | Not evidence of cardiovascular treatment. |
| A calming effect in an animal model | Mechanistic evidence, not a human treatment trial. |
| Enjoying the smell at home | A valid preference that does not establish clinical efficacy. |
Using the finding sensibly
If you enjoy the smell, it can be part of a personal relaxation routine. Keep exposure comfortable, consider other people sharing the space, and stop if it causes headache, cough or irritation.
Skin contact with essential oils can cause dermatitis. The inhalation trials do not justify putting concentrated lemongrass on the skin or swallowing it. There is no reason to copy research drop counts into a different device or room.
NHS breathing exercises provide a fragrance-free option for stress. Finding a practical routine you can repeat may matter more than searching for a supposedly perfect oil.
Persistent anxiety that affects daily life deserves proper assessment and support. Talking therapies and, where appropriate, medicines have a different evidence base. A pleasant scent should not delay getting help.
Evidence score and conclusion
John’s Evidence Score: 3/10 for short-term relaxation or anxiety reduction with inhaled lemongrass. Direct human studies provide a preliminary signal, but small samples, controls and narrow settings limit confidence.
The evidence supports curiosity and modest expectations. It does not support selling lemongrass as a treatment for generalised anxiety disorder.
How this review was researched
Research checked on 13 September 2026. We searched PubMed for the named oils or preparations and the condition, followed relevant review references, and checked the official guidance linked below. This is an editorial review, not an exhaustive systematic review. We distinguish human treatment outcomes from laboratory findings, and identify where a study tested a mixture or a different preparation.
Related reading
References
- Effect of Lemongrass Aroma on Experimental Anxiety in Humans.
- Effect of aromatherapy with lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) on the anxiety of patients undergoing scaling and root planning: a randomized clinical trial.
- Comparative evaluation of effectiveness among various sensory distractors for reducing dental anxiety in pediatric population aged 6-9 years – A randomized controlled trial.
- Benefit of inhalation aromatherapy as a complementary treatment for stress and anxiety in a clinical setting – A systematic review.
- Anxiolytic properties of Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) stapf extract, essential oil and its constituents in zebrafish (Danio rerio).
- DermNet: Allergic contact dermatitis to essential oils
- NHS: Breathing exercises for stress
- NHS: Generalised anxiety disorder