Geranium oil

Geranium oil comes from flowers in the Pelargonium genus.

It is extracted by steam distillation using the aromatic parts of the flowers, which are primarily the leaves, but also the stems to some extent.

Although there is no scientific evidence of geranium oil's effect on health, it is still used for medicinal purposes by some people.

In this article you can read about the uses and properties of geranium oil, but also what precautions you should take when coming into contact with it.

Properties ofgeranium oil

Undocumented properties

The following properties are often attributed to geranium oil, but are by no means scientifically proven:

Investigated properties with missing evidence

The following properties require further investigation before they can be attributed to geranium oil:

• Improving oral health: A 2010 Korean study showed that geranium oil in combination with peppermint oil, lavender oil and tea tree oil can reduce the amount of bacteria (Candida albicans) in the oral cavity and contribute to an overall improvement in oral health

• Menstrual pain: In a 2012 Korean study, geranium oil's effect on menstrual pain in schoolgirls was studied. The girls were divided into two groups; one group (the test group) received aromatherapy massage with a blend of different essential oils (which included geranium oil) and the other group (the control group) received paracetamol (a common painkiller). The result was that the test group experienced a significant reduction in menustration pain compared to the control group. However, the problem with the study is that it is not known whether the pain relief comes from the essential oils, the massage or both. Therefore, it cannot be conclusively concluded that geranium oil can relieve menstrual pain

It should be emphasized that the above properties are not scientifically proven.

Documented properties

The following properties can be attributed to geranium oil, as they have been proven by both science and practical use:

• Antibacterial properties (although not suitable for fighting bacteria in humans)
• Antifungal properties (though not on fungus in humans)
• Mosquito repellent ( geraniol is the substance that gives geranium oil this property)
• Tick repellent (see e.g. this study)
• Lice repellent (it is mainly the substance citronellol that gives geranium oil this property – see a documented study here)

Uses of geranium oil

Insecticide

Geranium oil has mild insecticidal properties, making it useful in repellents against mosquitoes, lice, ticks, ticks and the like. This means that geranium oil is currently used in industry for these purposes, but can also be used as an organic product against the aforementioned insects and mites. If you want to use geranium oil for this purpose, you should always dilute it at least 1:1 with a base oil (this also applies to any other application of geranium oil on the skin).

Rose oil

Geranium oil's light, floral scent makes it suitable as a supplement or ingredient in expensive rose oils (this is done to reduce the price of rose oil).

Cosmetics

In cosmetics, geranium oil is also used for its characteristic floral scent.

Aromatherapy

In aromatherapy, geranium oil is mainly used as a massage oil, in hot baths, scented sticks, incense sticks (see below) or for diffusion in the air. Some aromatherapists also mix geranium oil into creams, lotions, shampoos and the like. Geranium oil is particularly suitable for blending with the following oils:

Rose geranium

High quality, pure geranium oil derived from the rose geranium flower species can be difficult to obtain. Of course, it's a question of money, as pure geranium oil can theoretically only be extracted from wild flowers – which are difficult (and therefore expensive) to obtain for good reason. However, the high price of pure geranium oil is due to several factors, which are explained in more detail below:

• Rose geranium (Pelargonium graveolens)– not to be confused with the genus Geranium – is a flower in the Pelargonium genus, originally from South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. The rose geraniums grown are usually hybrids of the wild rose geranium (typically a cross between P. graveolens and P. radens or other closely related species such as P. roseum, P. odoratissimum, P. capita tum, etc.) and are thus not ‘true' wild rose geraniums

• Geranium oil is often marketed as oil extracted from the Geranium flower (rose geranium), although most geranium oils on the market are derived from several different flowers in the Pelargonie genus

• Many geranium oils are blended with cheaper oils such as cedarwood oil, citronella oil or similar.

• 300-500 kg of flower petals and stems are used to make 1 kg of geranium oil

The leaves and flowers of the rose geranium (and its hybrids) are also used to flavor tea and various foods such as cakes, jams, ice cream, sorbet, salads, etc.

Precautionary measures

• Pregnant women should not use geranium oil
• Geranium oil can cause skin irritation – especially if you have delicate or sensitive skin