Essential oils & personal care
Indonesian citronella oil
Citronella oil is steam-distilled from the leaves of Cymbopogon winterianus, a grass grown across Java, Sumatra and Kalimantan. The trade calls it the Java type after its origin, and it has its own international standard. Buyers contract it on composition, which varies widely between distillations.
How it leaves the country.
- Crude oil
- Straight from the still, and how most of the crop trades. Composition follows the material and the equipment.
- Redistilled
- Cleaner and more consistent, at a higher price. Worth it where a formulation cannot absorb batch variation.
- Isolates
- Citronellal, geraniol and citronellol are also separated and sold on their own. A different trade with different specifications.
How it is graded.
This is one of the products where an international standard does the defining, and the standard is named after Java. Contract against it plus a composition figure and there is little left to argue about.
- Standard
- ISO 3848, oil of citronella, Java type1
- What the standard covers
- Authenticity and commercial quality of oil from Cymbopogon winterianus, with the test methods, sampling, packing and storage that go with it.1
- Contracted on
- Total citronellal and total geraniol, alongside the physical constants the standard sets out. Ask for the analysis on the batch that ships.
How it is packed.
- Containers
- Filled by net weight into lined drums, kept out of light and heat. Citronella oxidises and the profile shifts with poor storage.
- Sampling
- Retain samples on both sides against the shipped batch. Composition varies enough between distillations that a retained sample is the only reference worth having.
Where it grows.
West Java
Java
The origin the trade name comes from, with village distillation alongside larger operations.
Central Java
Java
Growing and distilling in the same highland belt that produces clove leaf oil.
North Sumatra
Sumatra
A separate producing base feeding the same exporters.
Documentation, where applicable.
- Certificate of analysis
- Against ISO 3848 and the composition figures in the contract, issued on the batch that shipped.1
- Safety data sheet
- Required by everyone handling the goods downstream, and the basis for how the drum is classified in transit.
- REACH
- For the EU, the registration obligation sits with the importer or an appointed only representative.2
- Certificate of origin
- Which form applies depends on the destination and on the preference scheme in force between it and Indonesia.
Questions buyers ask.
What is the difference between Java and Ceylon type?
Two different grasses with different composition, sold under different standards. Java type comes from Cymbopogon winterianus and is the higher-citronellal material. Naming the type is not optional on a purchase order.
Why does composition vary so much between shipments?
Village distillation is not standardised equipment, and the grass varies with season, age at cutting and handling. Redistillation is what brings a programme onto a consistent figure, and it is why the redistilled product costs more.
Is it the same as lemongrass oil?
No. Different grass, different composition and different uses, though they are confused often enough that it is worth writing the botanical name into the order alongside the trade name.
What does your service cost?
Five per cent of the order value, paid by you and never by the factory. A factory audit starts at $250 depending on location. We work with orders from $10,000 per shipment.
Tell us what you need.
Give us the specification and the destination port. We come back with producer options and an indicative price. Our fee is 5 % of the order value, paid by you and never by the factory.
Sources
- 1ISO 3848:2016, oil of citronella, Java type. International Organization for Standardization. Checked 3 August 2026.
- 2Entering the European market for essential oils. CBI, Netherlands Enterprise Agency. Checked 3 August 2026.