Everything is handsome about the geranium not excepting its name.
Leigh Hunt

Geranium essential oil is a popular oil that is used in a lot of skin care products to give them a rosy smell. Although many people think that the oil comes from the red geraniums seen in hanging baskets and gardens she actually comes from another variety.

Family: Geraniaceae

Synonyms: Rose geranium

Aroma: Green, floral, sweet. Rosy sweet minty for geranium Bourbon from Réunion Island

Colour: Pale greenish yellow.

Plant: A perennial shrub growing to around 1.5 metres. It has large green hairy fragrant pointed leaves which contain most of the essential oil glands. The flowers are small and pink and don’t produce any oil.

Main Growing Areas: China, Egypt, Réunion Island, France, Algeria, India and Australia

 Major Constituents: Linalool, citronellol, geraniol, citronellyl formate, geranyl formate, menthone

Interesting snippets: It has been said that the first geranium blossom grew from a hedge on which Mohammed had hung his shirt to dry after washing it in a stream.

The first plant was collected in South Africa in 1672 and introduced into England and Europe in 1700. Plants and cuttings were then sent wherever there were English and European colonists.

Geraniums grown on Réunion Island have a rosy aroma which occurs nowhere else.

Part of Plant used /Extraction: Steam distilled from freshly harvested leaves. A complete distillation takes around 1½ hours.

Therapeutic actions: Helpful for eczema, psoriasis, skin abrasions and shingles. She acts as a balancing oil particularly in women when their hormones have become out of balance.

Emotional and Spiritual: Anxiety and emotional stress.
Geranium can bring a sense of renewal if you are beginning something or leaving something behind to begin again.

Gabriel Mojay writes, “Conveying a feeling of calm strength and security, geranium oil is beneficial for both chronic and acute anxiety, particularly where there is nervous exhaustion due to stress and overwork. Geranium oil is ideal for the workaholic perfectionist – for the person who has forgotten imagination, intuition and sensory experience.”

Valerie Ann Worwood writes that when the Spirit is hidden like a frightened child within, geranium offers its warm hand of comfort, opening our hearts and memories and healing the pain.

Aromatherapy Insight Card:

RE-BALANCING
Re-balancing the extremes of life, emotionally “up” one minute and “down” the next. Geranium is essential for the workaholic perfectionists in life. Geranium delivers balance and symmetry to all areas of life. Time to remove the should’s and do what you truly want to do. Balance your logical, analytical workaholic self with the emotional, spontaneous, fun person you used to be and want to be. All work and no play makes us all stressed in some way.

Fragrant Change Healing Card: I strive for balance in body, mind and spirit

Contemplations for the Soul Card:Are you feeling stressed with too much work and no time for play and to enjoy yourself?
Do you feel like you’re on an emotional roller coaster up one minute and down the next with no time to take a breath between the highs and lows?
Are you able to give but not receive?
It’s time to regain some balance in your life.
Understand that both work and play are essential to the health of your body, mind and spirit.
If you are feeling stressed by your work make time today to take time out to play or enjoy yourself.
Do something that brings you joy.
Learn to both give and receive to bring more balance into your life.

Safety: Non-irritating, non-sensitising.

Sources:
Bowles E.J, The A-Z of Essential Oils. New Burlington Books (2003)
Hodges C. Contemplations for the Soul (2016)
Hodges C, Fragrant Change Healing Cards (2015)
Jefferies J, Osborn. K, Aromatherapy Insight Cards. Living Energy, Aust. (2nd Ed. 2005)
Kerr J, Geranium Essential Oil Profile. Aromatherapy Today, Vol.20 (2001)
Mojay G, Aromatherapy for Healing the Spirit. Hodder and Stoughton (1996)
Smith I, Geranium. The Aromatherapist, Vol 8, No 2 (2001)
Worwood V.A, The Fragrant Heavens. Doubleday Publishing UK (1999)