Evidence supporting the use of: Citral
For the health condition: Skin (infections)

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Synopsis

Source of validity: Traditional
Rating (out of 5): 2

Citral is a key component of the essential oils of various plants, including lemongrass and Litsea cubeba. Traditionally, citral-containing oils have been used in folk medicine across Asia and Africa for their purported antimicrobial and antiseptic properties, especially in the context of skin infections and wound care. Lemongrass oil, for example, has a long history of topical use to support skin health and treat minor skin ailments. However, while citral itself has demonstrated some antimicrobial activity in vitro—showing effectiveness against certain bacteria and fungi—the majority of evidence for its use in treating skin infections is based on traditional practices rather than robust clinical trials. Few high-quality human studies directly assess citral’s efficacy for skin infections, and most available data come from laboratory (in vitro) experiments or animal models. As such, while there is some biological plausibility and historical precedent for the use of citral in skin infection support, scientific validation remains limited, making the primary justification for its use traditional rather than evidence-based.

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Products containing Citral

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