Geranium Essential Oil Facts

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Tuesday, December 18th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed

Essential oils are a fundamental component of aromatherapy care. There are hundreds of different types and many can be blended to create compounds of the original oil. Essential oils and the various blends are created to heal ailments or simply to create a pleasant smell when burned. They are often used by burning the oil to create a scent and aroma, by topical application through massage or dropping into bath water or by inhaling when added to hot water. One such oil that is popular and extremely useful is geranium essential oil. This article will cover some geranium essential oil facts and how it can be used in aromatherapy.

Geranium essential oil comes from the geranium plant, a perennial, hairy shrub. It grows to around one meter high and has pointed leaves and a pink flower. The plant is found in many parts of the world however the popular varieties are the Geranium robertanium found in Britain and Geranium maculatum found in the United States. Another type that is used for perfumes and scents is the Bourbon Geranium that is indigenous to the Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean. The essential oil is created through steam distillation of the leaves, stalks and flowers.

Geranium essential oil is known as a cure all in aromatherapy because of the wide and diverse range of uses it has. This is partly due to the different chemical constituents that are found in the oil. It is composed of apinene, citronellol, geraniol, geranyl acetate, geranyl butyrate myrcene, linalool, limonene, menthane. Many of these chemicals give an inkling of the benefits the oil can give. .

Benefits of Geranium Essential oil

There are many benefits offered by this oil, namely in terms of the therapeutic properties that it features, which are astringent, haemostatic, cicatrisant, diuretic, deodorant, styptic, tonic, and vulneray. The geranium essential oil can be used to help in the treatment of acne, bruises, burns, cuts, dermatitis, eczema, lice, and as a mosquito repellent.

Possibly the best use of the oil is for skin care. It is often a ingredient in popular skin care products and can treat skin blemishes and acne.

It is also used as an antidepressant. It is thought that the scent of geranium stimulates the adrenal cortex and can balance the hormonal system while stimulating the lymphatic system at the same time.

The oil itself has a light green color and is quite watery. It creates a rose-like scent with a musty, minty green undertone when burned or diffused into the air. This is due to the chemicals geraniol, linalool and citronellol found in the oil.

Geranium essential oil is generally seen as a safe oil. It is non-toxic and non-irritant. It can generally be applied to the skin but may cause sensitivity in some people (this is more the case with Bourbon geranium) so it is always prudent to do a patch test before using it on the body.

In terms of blending it is compatible with a large number of other essential oils, notably lavender, sandalwood, jasmine, bergamot and other citrus oils. Due to it’s popularity and ease to create it is relatively cheap, however bourbon geranium is harder to get and thus is more expensive.

Some Essential Oils listed on Ebay :

Young Living Essential Oil - 15 ml Dragon Time