Welcome to the letter G post in my #AtoZChallenge series on aromatherapy. For this letter, I will talk about geranium. This is one of my less favorite scents, but when blended appropriately, it can definitely be beneficial.
Geranium is originally not native to Europe or the Americas. It originates from Africa and was introduced to Europe in the seventeenth century. Currently, it is cultivated all over the world. Geranium essential oil is sometimes referred to as “the poor man’s rose oil”, because it has similar properties to rose essential oil but is much more affordable.
The most common geranium species used for its essential oil is Pelargonium graveolens. Geranium essential oil is distilled from the leaves and flowers of the plant. It has a sweet, floral aroma, which comes from its constituent geranyl formate. Other chemical constituents of geranium essential oil include Linalool, Citronellol and Geraniol. The preferred variety of geranium essential oil by aromatherapists is Bourbon geranium, as it has a smell preferrable to others.
In aromatherapy, geranium essential oil is used for the reduction of feelings of anxiety, sadness and fatigue and to promote general wellbeing. It is also known to help with concentration and cognitive function.
Used topically on the skin, geranium essential oil is known to help eliminate dead skin cells and regenerate new ones. It is known to help tighten the skin and, as such, reduce effects of aging such as sagging and wrinkles. Geranium essential oil is also used in the promotion of healthy hair growth.
Geranium essential oil is a gentle and relatively safe oil to use. However, pregnant women are advised to be cautious with this oil, as it effects hormone balance and it is not known how this oil might effect their unborn child.
Geranium essential oil blends well with most other oils. I like to blend it with calming oils such as lavender and clary sage when I want a relaxing effect. It however also blends well with citrus oils. When creating diffuser blends, I personally like to add only one or two drops of geranium essential oil into my blends, as I don’t really like its scent when it’s too strong.
A Multitude of Musings 
Another goodie, many we haven’t thought of in a while and you’re only on G!
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Thank you! 🙂
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Interesting post. I planted geraniums in my garden last year, and they were beautiful — but I did not notice a scent. Perhaps it has to be concentrated? I like the idea of it focusing the mind, and its calming properties. This would make a good addition to my diffuser. https://mollyscanopy.com/
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Yes, I think its essential oil may have a stronger scent than the flowers themselves. I definitely feel its calming properties, but I like to blend it with other oils to make the scent less pronounced, as I personally don’t really like the smell of geranium EO. At least not the type of geranium I have.
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I never knew you could make essential oil from geranium! We had them in flower pots, but the didn’t really have a memorable scent…
The Multicolored Diary
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Thank you for commenting. I honestly have no idea whether geranium flowers have a distinct smell. I’d think since the EO is steam distilled, it’d have a stronger scent than the flowers themselves.
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