Geranium has a rose-like
aroma with minty undertones. An important ingredient in many skin care
products, it provides balancing properties to both dry and oily complexions.
Add a few drops to face cleansers to supplement their effects.
Suggested Uses:
Women's cooling mist: 9 drops of geranium, 5 drops clary
sage, 4 drops peppermint, 1 oz. water in a mister. Restore balance: Waft
open bottle under nose. Safety Info: Keep out of reach of children. For external use only.
Dilute properly. Avoid if pregnant. Product Notes:
Color: Yellowish to green,
greenish-olive, brownish green Viscosity: Mobile Top Note: Fruity-minty, rich sweet-herbaceous Middle Note: Rich, sweet-rosy, quite tenacious Dry Note: Sweet-rosy, herbaceous Aromatherapy Actions: Balancing, normalizing, uplifting Safety Data: Non-toxic, non-irritant, non-sensitizing. Regulatory Status: GRAS 182.20.
Origin: China Processing Notes: Essential oil is obtained by steam distillation of
the leaves and flowering branchlets.
Pelargonium graveolens, the rose-scented
geranium, belongs to the same plant genus as the popular red-flowered window box
geranium. Geraniums are native to arid areas of South Africa's Cape Province.
The plant is highly drought resistant, thanks to its semi-succulent,
water-conserving stems and leaves.
The essential oil in rose geranium leaves has
constituents -- geraniol, linalol and citronellol -- that are also present in
rose oil. It's not surprising that the aroma of geranium's fragrance resembles
that of rose with a musty, minty-green undertone.
Geranium oil has been described as a natural perfume complete unto itself.
It's often used to scent soaps and detergents because, unlike many other
essential oils, rose geranium's aroma profile is not readily affected by the
alkaline nature of soap products.
Rose geranium varies much across strains and
distillations, in part because the plant is greatly influenced by the climate
and soil in which it grows. Geranium oil can range from very sweet and rosy to
musty, minty and green. One type of geranium oil, known as Bourbon, has
established itself as a premium perfume oil. Bourbon geranium is cultivated and
distilled exclusively on the island of Reunion in the Indian ocean. The
environment of Reunion has produced a strain of geranium with a very rich, rosy
aroma. Perfumers prefer to work with Bourbon oil because it blends well with a
wide array of very different oils including clove, sandalwood and lavender.
The main geranium oil-producing regions of the
world are found on the African continent, Russia, China and Reunion. Russian and
Chinese oils tend to have a greener, fresh-rosy aroma while Egyptian and Reunion
oils tend to be heavier and darker.
Geranium oil is distilled from the
above-ground parts of the plant. Most of the essential oil glands are found in
its leaves. After cutting, the plants are partially dried to increase the yield
of oil. That way there's less water to be vaporized and extracted from the plant
material during the distillation.
Popular during the Victorian era, rose
geranium was often kept potted in parlors were a fresh sprig was always
available to revive the senses. The fresh leaves were also offered in finger
bowls at formal dining tables.
Today, geranium is an indispensable
aromatherapy oil. It's one of the best skincare oils, offering relief from
congested, oily and dry skin. On an emotional level, geranium promotes stability
and balance.
Geranium skin preparations are gently
astringent, opening pores and clearing oily complexions. A tonifying cream
containing geranium oil makes a nourishing moisturizer and makeup remover. To
make such a cream, gather the following:
Heat the wax, jojoba and rosehip seed oils in
a double boiler until the wax melts. Add the water gradually while whisking the
mixture into a creamy emulsion. Continue whisking until the cream cools,
incorporate the essential oils and store in a tightly closed container.
The balancing effect that geranium oil has on
our emotions is often utilized in aromatherapy. Though geranium is distilled
from leaves, its aroma and effects are comparable to such floral oils as rose
and lavender. Humans are drawn to floral aromas because their pleasant scents
can be uplifting and gently inspiring -- or evoke a sense of calm and
tranquility.
Here's one recipe for a balancing aromatherapy
blend:
Put six drops of the blend and one ounce of
water into an aromatherapy lamp and gently diffuse the relaxing aroma during
times of stress. For a more immediate release of this tranquil blend, try
dispensing it from a spray mister.
*Above statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
