Pelargonium graveolens steam distilled from the leaves, stalks, and flowers from Egypt.
Aroma: This geranium has a powerful green, leafy-rose-like top note, with a pronounced fruity-minty undertone and a rich, tenacious sweet-rosy dry out.
Geranium can lend a soft rosy note that does not dominate blends that contain bergamot, clove, lavender, lime, patchouli, sandalwood, juniperberry, jasmine and rose. It is one of the most important and irreplaceable oils in perfumery and therefore often adulterated.
History: The plants originated from South Africa as well as Reunion, Madagascar, Egypt and Morocco. They were introduced to European countries such as Italy, Spain and France in the 17th century. In native Africa the herb tea was drunk to cure stomach upsets and stop internal bleeding. Throughout the centuries people have cultivated the plants around their homes to keep evil spirits at bay, perhaps because on the material plane, it keeps bugs away.
Common Uses: The therapeutic properties of Geranium Bourbon oil include the following as an astringent, haemostatic, diuretic, antiseptic, anti-depressant, tonic, antibiotic, anti-spasmodic and as an anti-infectious agent.
Geranium is thought to be particularly effective as a tick repellant.
Possible Uses: Acne, cellulitis, dull skin, lice, menopause, oily skin. [Julia Lawless, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils (Rockport, MA: Element Books, 1995), 57-65.]
Hormone balancing, it synergizes well with rose. - TTF
Geraniums are thought to be particularly effective as a tick repellant.
Main Constituents:
Citronellol: 25%, Geraniol 15%, Isomenthone 4-7%,
Linalool 3-10%, Guaia-6, 9-diene 1-7%, Citronellyl formate 1-4%, Geranyl formate 1-4%
[B.M. Lawrence, Essential Oils 1981-1987 (Wheaton: Allured Publishing, 1989), 119-121. B.M. Lawrence, Progress in Essential Oils. (Perfumer & Flavorist 21 no. 6, 1996), 58-62. B.M. Lawrence, Progress in Essential Oils. (Perfumer & Flavorist 23 no. 1, 1999), 56-61. Sources cited in Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young, Essential Oil Safety (Second Edition. United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2014), 293.]
Colour: Pale yellow-green to blue-green
Consistency: Thin
Perfumery Note: Medium
Strength of Initial Aroma: Medium - strong
Cautions: Dilute before use; for external use only. May cause skin irritation in some individuals; a skin test is recommended prior to use. Contact with eyes should be avoided.
Tisserand and Young caution that a drug interaction may occur if using drugs metabolized by CYP2B6. They indicate that the Geranium Oil possesses a low risk of skin sensitization and recommend a dermal maximum of 17.5%. Reading Tisserand and Young's full profile is recommended. [Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young, Essential Oil Safety (Second Edition. United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2014), 243.]
Photo By Senet (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons