Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus: From Plant to ProtectionUpdated a month ago
The Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus used in Wondercide Maximum Protection Mosquito & Tick Repellent starts with a plant—and there’s a thoughtful process behind how it gets from eucalyptus leaves to the active ingredient in the finished product.
It starts with eucalyptus leaves
The process begins with leaves and small twigs from Eucalyptus citriodora trees. That plant material is steam distilled to produce the Eucalyptus citriodora oil used to make the Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus active ingredient in Maximum Protection.
Harvested with the trees in mind
The eucalyptus is grown on sustainably managed plantations and harvested by hand. Branches are selectively cut so the trees can continue growing and producing new leaves over many years, with harvest frequency adjusted to support the ongoing health of the trees.
Plant material gets put back to use
The process also finds useful roles for plant material left after distillation. Waste leaves and surplus twigs can be used as fuel to help produce the steam needed for distillation, while excess plant material can be returned to the plantation to support soil condition and moisture retention.
Water is captured and reused
Steam distillation uses a closed water system that captures and recirculates cooling water for reuse, helping minimize water waste during production.
Building on a process that naturally happens in the oil
Eucalyptus citriodora oil naturally contains citronellal, a major component of the oil. As the oil ages, some of that citronellal naturally converts into PMD, or p-menthane-3,8-diol.
The manufacturing process converts more of the citronellal into PMD, essentially mimicking the oil’s natural aging process. The result is Citriodiol®, the trade name for the Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus active ingredient used in Wondercide Maximum Protection Mosquito & Tick Repellent.
From hand-harvested eucalyptus and steam distillation to plant-material reuse and water recirculation, it’s a process with some pretty interesting details behind an active ingredient that begins with a plant.