Geranium Essential Oil Profile
Latin Name: Pelargonium Asperum/Pelargonium Graveolens
Origins: Egypt, China, Madagascar, Reunion Islands.
Extraction method: Steam Distilled
Plant part: Leaves and sometimes flowers too.
Scent: Fresh sweet green scent, herbaceous. Rosy floral.
Color: Greenish-olive
Middle note: This means it can take a few minutes for you to smell the scent on your skin, but it lasts. If mixing with other oils, you will smell this after the top note has evaporated.
Properties: Antiseptic, Astringent, Antidepressant, Antibacterial, Antifungal, Cicatrisant, Cytophylactic, Diuretic, Deodrant, Haemostatic, Styptic, General Tonic, Uterine, Vasoconstrictor, Vermifuge, Vulnerary.
Cautions: None known.
Geranium Essential Oil has many benefits and has a wonderful floral smell. Some people use this in replacement to Rose as it is a cheaper alternative and can have a similar floral smell.
The first species of Geranium was found in South Africa and since discovered we have found there are about 700 species throughout the world. However only about 10 of these are used for Essential Oil production. The most commonly known ones that are made in to oils is Pelargonium Asperum and Pelargonium Graveolens from Egypt and Reunion Islands. Egyptians used Geranium for beautiful and radiant skin as well as smelling great!
The oil is extracted by steam distillation from the leaves and sometimes the flowers as well. This method uses steam which is passed through the plant materials to separate the oil from the plant and then the oil is collected from separating it from the water, which is produced by the steam. It is easily collected as water and oil do not mix and therefore the oil sits on top ready for collection.
Geranium Essential Oil is used for physical, mental, emotional and spiritual issues. Its uplifting, gentle and calming and just a good all round wonderful oil to use.
Benefits of Geranium Essential Oil
Geranium essential oil has a range of benefits. Below are some ways it can help with certain conditions.
Circulation, Endocrine, Urinary and Immune Systems
Geranium Essential Oil can help fight infections. Helping to prevent as well as fight skin infections it helps the immune system to concentrate on your internal functions and keep you healthy.
It helps blood clotting and restricts blood flow to prevent hemorrhaging and healing of wounds and prevents toxins entering the body.
As a diuretic it helps increase urination and also helps stimulate the liver and pancreas secretions, therefore helping rid toxins of the body quicker.
Geranium acting as a tonic helps the endocrine glands and balances hormones, bile and enzymes. This helps all the systems of the body and especially with the hormonal system, helping menopause, PMS, painful periods and breast pain before periods. This study (1) tested ten essential oils and shows that Geranium Essential Oil did in fact help production of salivary estrogen to increase, which in turn helps the symptoms of menopause.
Skin Care and Wounds
Geranium Essential Oil is astringent and antiseptic. It is great for skin conditions such as eczema, dermatitis, acne and other skin diseases. It helps with wrinkles as it tightens the skin and slows down aging, as well as helping skin regeneration. Reduces scars and speeds up the healing of wounds/cuts as its a cicatrisant, helping the blood to circulate more at the surface of the skin and making scars fade. Lastly its a good deodorizer as the oil exits the skin through perspiration due to it being a circulatory oil and used topically can kill the odor causing bacteria on the skin.
This study (2) shows that Geranium Essential Oil is also a very good anti bacterial and anti fungal agent. Using Rose Geranium (Pelargonium Graveolens (roseum), testing it on bacteria such as Escherichia coli as well as others found that the oil had considerable inhibitory effects and some of the results are even comparable to antibiotics we take.
Muscles and Joints
As Geranium is an astringent, it helps prevent sagging muscles and tones them. It is also good for Osteo and Rheumatoid arthritis.
Mental and Emotional
Geranium Essential Oil helps the nervous system by reducing inflammation in neural pathways and works with the chemistry of the brain, therefore helping to prevent conditions such as alzheimers, dementia and memory loss.
The oil is a great uplifter as well as being able to calm and relax you. This helps conditions such as depression, anxiety, anger and insecurity issues.
This study (3) shows that Geranium Essential Oil helped laboring women be less anxious. Inhaling the aroma of the oil can effectively reduce anxiety during labor and can be recommended as a non-invasive anti-anxiety aid during childbirth.
Spiritual
Geranium is known as an all round balancer. It can help balance the Chakras and balance the male and female energies within you. Helping to clear your mind and focus on centering yourself. Preparing you to meditate or connect to Spirit and within. It has also been used for dream work and astral travel.
It has a female energy and really resonates with Mother Nature and the Goddess. As well as this it has great connection to the Angelic realms too, helping you to connect to the Angels. It comforts and guides you through connection to the Angels or the loving Mother Goddess, which ever you prefer, or maybe both depending on who you want to work with at the time.
How to use Geranium Essential Oil
Oil Burner/Diffuser: Add a couple of drops of the oil in an oil burner or diffuser to fill the room with the aroma. This will help clear your mind, helping you to focus and center yourself. As you will breathe this in, it will also help with mental issues and some physical ones too as above.
Massage: Add a couple of drops to a carrier oil such as Grapeseed or Almond oil. This dilutes the oil and you can then apply to the skin. Massaging will help stimulate the skin and help relax muscles. It will help the skin to absorb the oil helping with physical and mental issues as above.
Anointing Oil: Add a couple of drops to a carrier oil such as Grapeseed or Almond oil. This dilutes the oil and you can then apply to the skin. Helping to clear your Chakras, connect to the Divine, meditate, clear your mind and prepare for spiritual practices.
Smudge spray: You will need a spray bottle (preferably a dark glass one). Add a couple of drops in some purified water or or a combo of water and Witch Hazel, shake (each time you use it) and spray around you and the room. Cleansing you and the space you are in. You will also breathe this in and so it will help with mental issues and some physical ones too as above. (Note, if you are just mixing with water, you either need to use a preservative or use it up quickly, storing in the fridge as water will breed bacteria.)
Skin Lotion: You can buy skin lotion bases, which have no fragrance and are all ready to put your own essential oils into. So buy a skin lotion base and you can add a few drops of Geranium oil and use to moisturize your skin or help with some skin conditions. (Recipe below).
Recipes for Geranium Essential Oil
As well as the ingredients below, you may also need a funnel to pour liquids into the bottles and other utensils for mixing.
Calming and relaxing Massage Oil
100ml/3.3oz bottle, dark in color to preserve the essential oils.
100ml/3.3oz Carrier Oil – You can use Grapeseed oil/Almond Oil or Fractionated Coconut Oil (which ever you prefer).
20 drops Geranium Essential Oil
15 drops Palmarosa Essential Oil
Pour the carrier oil into the empty bottle, add the Essential oils and shake well. You now have a massage blend that will help calm and relax you, helping release stress and tension.
Skin Lotion
236ml/8oz jar as its easier to mix, but you can use anything such as a bottle with a pump top. Dark in color preferably to preserve the essential oils
236ml/8oz Unscented lotion base
40 drops Geranium Essential Oil
Add the Essential Oil to the lotion base and mix well. If using a Jar, pour both ingredients in and mix, if using a pump bottle, mix in a separate container first so it mixes well and then pour into the bottle. This will help moisturize your skin, as well as make you smell nice! It can also be used to help as a topical cream for the skin conditions above.
For a more luxurious cream you could try making this from scratch:
236ml/8oz jar as its easier to mix and get out of the bottle as its a thick cream. Dark in color preferably to preserve the essential oils
147ml/5oz Shea Butter (unrefined)
88ml/3oz Coconut Oil
40 drops Geranium Essential Oil
Or if you really want to treat yourself, you could use 20 drops Geranium Essential Oil and 20 drops Rose Absolute instead of just Geranium.
Using a double boiler or a heat proof bowl over a pan of boiling water heat up the Shea Butter gently, just until it softens enough for you to mix the other ingredients. You do not want to heat too much as the Oils you will add may over heat and lose their therapeutic properties. Then add the Coconut oil and Essential oils, mix them together and let them cool a bit before pouring into the jar.
This is a much more rich and luxurious cream and will help moisturize your skin as well as help with the skin conditions above.
Anointing Oil
30ml/1oz bottle dark in color to preserve the essential oils.
30ml/1oz Carrier Oil – Such as Jojoba which I like for this or you can use Grapeseed oil/Almond Oil or Fractionated Coconut Oil (which ever you prefer).
3 drops Geranium Essential Oil
3 drops Patchouli Essential Oil
Pour the carrier oil into the empty bottle, add the Essential oils and shake well. You now have a uplifting anointing oil. This will help clear your mind and connect you to the divine. Helping you meditate or any other spiritual workings. You can anoint anywhere you like, do what feels right for you. A suggestion would be to put a little oil on the Chakras, helping to clear and balance them.
Safety Precaution when using Essential Oils
Please stick to the guidelines on amounts above when using and mixing oils as overuse can cause problems, especially in children. Do not ever apply essential oils neat on the skin or use internally. Only ever mix in a base/carrier oil. Do not use on small children. Test patch the diluted oil (and any other ingredients mentioned above for making your own products) on skin to check for allergic reaction. If in event of an allergic reaction wash the area and seek medical advice.
Where to buy
I buy my oils from Plant Therapy. I love them because they are high quality, therapeutic grade and affordable. I have put a couple of links below, just click on the pictures to be taken to the page. You can also purchase Shea Butter and Unscented lotion from them too as mentioned in recipes above. If you wish to purchase elsewhere, try to pick therapeutic grade as these are pure and good quality and you will get the full benefits of an essential oil.
To purchase or for more information on each item, click on the images.
Final Thoughts
Geranium essential oil has some good benefits overall, especially for emotional nd hormonal issues as well as connecting to the Divine Feminine and Angelic energies. Its reasonably priced and is a great alternative for rose essential oil if you are on a budget. Overall I would definitely have this one in my collection.
References
Study 1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28326753/
Study 2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4312398/
Study 3 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4484988/
Disclaimer: The contents of this article is for information only and using any of the methods suggested is at your own risk. Always consult a doctor with any medical condition you may have, especially if you are trying new complimentary medicines.