What is Geranium & What is it good for?

 Geranium                  

Botanical Name: Pelargonium graveolens

Family:  Geraniaceae

Safety:  Non toxic, non irritant, generally non sensitizing. Do not  use with hypoglycemia or in pregnancy

Blending Note:  Middle

Aroma Strength:   Strong/ Loud

Scent Description and General uses: Very floral and very strong, people will love it or hate it. Used to make personal scenters/ natural perfumes. Used in topical products to help with skin issues.

Blends well with:  Bergamot, chamomile, clary sage, clove, cypress, ginger, grapefruit,  jasmine, juniper, lemon, mandarin, neroli, palmarosa, patchouli, peppermint, rose, rosemary & ylang ylang

Indepth profile

Extraction: Steam distillation of flowers and leaves

Chemistry: Alcohols Citronellol, Geraniol, Esters,  Linalyl acetate, Geranyl acetate, Citronellyl Acetate

Approved claims and benefits from Health Canada Recommendations:

Used in aromatherapy to help relieve colds/cough.

Safety and usage information:

Do not take internally, Do not use undiluted (NEAT) on the skin, check individual safety information for any and all combinations when blending or using blended products.

Check essential oils and medications that individuals are currently using for contraindications. Keep out of reach of children.  Caution with all animals. Do not use topically on cats.  

Essential oil and water do not mix you must blend a dispersant with the essential oil before adding to water (including when using in baths), keep away from flame.

Herbal Folk and Traditions:

History:  When this  African perennial arrived in Europe in the seventeenth-century  it gained instant popularity and many propagated it in their greenhouses. It was originally known as Rose Geranium but it was soon hybridized and this hybridization increased the species to more than 600, which includes many rose types.  The oil varies, depending on growing conditions and species. The French planted it in Algeria and Reunion (or "Bourbon"), giving geranium from this area the name "Bourbon." It is also grown in Morocco and China. The Chinese oil is slightly less sweet but produces a good yield, making it less expensive. The pharmaceutical industry widely uses the component geraniol. This and other parts of the oil are sometimes used as an ingredient to make synthetic rose. Although the leaves of rose geranium resemble our common geranium the two are only distantly related.

Traditionally used in herbal medicine for the following issues:

Mental/Emotional:  Anxiety, depression, balancing

Cardiovascular: Tonic, poor circulation, hemorrhoids, stimulant, regulate blood  pressure

Digestive:  poor elimination, liver tonic, clears mucous, gastritis, colitis, gallstones

Endocrine:  Regulates hormonal system. May lower blood sugar levels

Immune:  Tonsillitis, stimulant

Nervous System: Tonic

Reproductive:  Menopause, PMS, inflammation and congestion of breasts,  sterility

Respiratory:  Clears mucous, sore throat,

Skin:   All skin types, regenerating, cleansing, pale, inflammation, infected

wounds, eczema, acne, burns, scarring stretch marks