Lemon myrtle: the strongest lemon scent and the strictest dilution

Q: Is lemon myrtle the same as common myrtle?

No. Common myrtle (Myrtus communis) is a Mediterranean shrub with a herbal, camphoraceous scent; lemon myrtle (Backhousia citriodora) is an Australian tree with a lemon scent.

Lemon myrtle from Australia smells the most intense of all lemon oils. How it differs from common myrtle, why to dilute it so much and where it excels.

In brief: Lemon myrtle (Backhousia citriodora) is an Australian tree whose oil is 88–98% citral. It smells the most intense of all "lemon" oils, but on the skin it is among the strictest: at most 0.7%, in practice 3 drops per 30 ml. It is best used in a diffuser and for cleaning.

Latin name	Backhousia citriodora (myrtle family)
Extraction	steam distillation of the leaves, Australia
Main components	citral (geranial and neral) 88–98%, to a lesser extent linalool and methylheptenone
Limit on the skin	0.7% according to Tisserand & Young; to be safe 0.5% (1 drop per 10 ml, 3 drops per 30 ml)
For a diffuser	1–3 drops, it is very distinctive
Safety in one word	sensitising

Lemon myrtle smells like a lemon drop: sweet, clean and so strong that one drop scents a whole kitchen. In Australia its dried leaves are used as a spice in baking and tea. The oil, however, is a concentrate of citral, and that comes with rules you do not have to worry about with orange or lavender.

This article explains how it differs from ordinary myrtle and lemongrass, how many drops are safe and how to make use of it at home. It is not medical advice.

Not every myrtle is the same myrtle

Lemon myrtle shares only the family and part of the name with common myrtle (Myrtus communis). Common myrtle is a Mediterranean shrub with a herbal, lightly camphoraceous scent thanks to 1,8-cineole and myrtenyl acetate; the plant is described in the article common myrtle. Lemon myrtle is an Australian tree whose leaf contains more citral than any other commonly distilled plant.

Oil	Citral	Scent	Limit on the skin
Lemon myrtle	88–98%	sweet, intense lemon	0.7%
Lemongrass	65–70%	sharp lemon with grass	0.7%
Lemon balm	36–42%	delicate, herbal lemon	low, according to citral
Lemon (pressed)	2–5%	juicy peel	2% because of the sun

The citral content is according to the AromaWeb overview and Wikipedia and varies by batch. Lemon and its phototoxicity are covered in the article lemon oil and beware of the sun. Lemon myrtle is not phototoxic.

Why such a low dilution

Citral is one of the best-known skin sensitisers among fragrance substances. Repeated use at too high a concentration may cause contact allergy, which then flares up even with a perfume or cream containing citral. IFRA therefore restricts citral in cosmetics: in body lotion to 0.15%, in perfume to 0.6%. Tisserand and Young recommend a dermal maximum of 0.7% for lemon myrtle oil.

Carrier oil	Our recommendation (0.5%)	Ceiling 0.7%
10 ml	1 drop	1 drop
30 ml	3 drops	4 drops
50 ml	5 drops	7 drops

We count 1 ml ≈ 20 drops. Do not put lemon myrtle on the face or on sensitive or damaged skin at all. If you want more lemon in a blend, add an oil without citral, for example mandarin.

Where lemon myrtle excels

Diffuser and oil burner

Here lemon myrtle is at its best. For a small room 1–2 drops are enough, for a living room 2–3 drops, for an oil burner 2–3 drops. More drops will not improve the scent, only make it "chemical". A table by room size is in the article how many drops of essential oil for a diffuser.

Cleaning

Put 8–10 drops of lemon myrtle into a cleaning spray (500 ml of water, 100 ml of vinegar). On the fridge, kitchen worktop and chopping boards the fresh scent works quickly. Put on gloves when cleaning, as the spray also reaches your hands. More recipes can be found in the article natural cleaning with essential oils.

Blends

Lemon cake (diffuser)

1 drop of lemon myrtle, 3 drops of orange. A sweet, bakery scent for the kitchen.

Australian (diffuser)

2 drops of lemon myrtle, 1 drop of tea tree. A clean, herbal-lemon blend after cleaning. Because of the tea tree, not for children under 6 and not in a room with a cat.

Evening (oil burner)

1 drop of lemon myrtle, 3 drops of lavender, 1 drop of frankincense. Lemon only as a light note above the lavender.

Body oil with a lemon note (1%)

Pour 30 ml of jojoba oil.
Add 2 drops of lemon myrtle (0.33%).
Top up with 4 drops of lavender, 6 drops in total, that is, 1%.
Test on the forearm and wait 24 hours.
Do not use on the face or irritated skin; use within 2–3 months.

Traditional use and research

The leaves of lemon myrtle are a traditional Australian food and today are used as a spice in baking, pasta and tea. The oil is a popular ingredient in soaps, shampoos and cleaning products. In laboratory tests it has marked antimicrobial activity, but at the same time, undiluted, it is toxic to human cells in vitro. Do not take the essential oil from a bottle internally, and do not confuse the dried leaves in the kitchen with it.

Safety

Children: Tisserand and Young do not recommend lemon myrtle on the skin of children under 2 years. We do not give it to children on the skin at all, and in a diffuser in a child's room, from 2 years, at most 1 drop. More in the article essential oils and children.
Pregnancy: for citral oils, Tisserand and Young state a risk of fetal harm. During pregnancy and breastfeeding only in a diffuser, briefly and with ventilation.
Medicines: possible interaction with medicines metabolised by the enzyme CYP2B6. If you take medicines regularly, consult a doctor.
Cats: use a diffuser only in a room the cat can leave, never on the fur. More in the article essential oils and pets.
Bath: no. The oil does not dissolve in water, and citral would reach the skin at full strength.
Storage: citral oxidises in air and light. Close it straight after use and store in the cool; use up an opened bottle within 1–2 years.

How to recognise true lemon myrtle

On the label look for Backhousia citriodora and Australia as the country of origin. There is also a rare citronellal chemotype, which smells different, so it helps if the seller states the citral content. The oil is clear to pale yellow and smells sweetly of lemon without any grassy trace. If it is cheaper than lemongrass, it is often diluted with it, or with isolated citral.

Frequently asked questions

What is lemon myrtle oil used for?

Mainly in a diffuser and oil burner, where 1–3 drops are enough, and in home cleaning sprays. On the skin only at a very low dilution, up to 0.7%.

What is the difference between lemon myrtle and lemongrass?

Lemon myrtle is an Australian tree with 88–98% citral; lemongrass is a tropical grass with 65–70% citral. Myrtle smells sweeter and more intense, grass sharper and greener. On the skin both have a limit of 0.7%.

Is lemon myrtle the same as common myrtle?

No. Common myrtle (Myrtus communis) is a Mediterranean shrub with a herbal, camphoraceous scent; lemon myrtle (Backhousia citriodora) is an Australian tree with a lemon scent.

How many drops of lemon myrtle for a diffuser?

For a small room 1–2 drops, for a living room 2–3 drops. It is one of the strongest-smelling oils; more drops will not improve the scent.

Is lemon myrtle phototoxic?

No. It contains citral, not furocoumarins like pressed citrus oils. It is restricted by the risk of skin allergy, not the sun.

Sources

Updated: 27 September 2026

Author: Jana Vránová, the editorial pen name of the Pěstík.cz team. She writes about the garden, herbs and essential oils. We take safety and dosage information from specialist literature and official sources, which we cite in every article.