Don’t get too excited — chances are that geranium in your garden isn’t going to be the cure for what ails you. There are more than six hundred different varieties of scented geranium. South African rose geranium is the main source for geranium essential oil.
Geranium (or rose geranium) wasn’t distilled into essential oil form until the nineteenth century, making it a relative latecomer to aromatherapy. Geranium essential oil has a rose-like scent, and is often used in making synthetic rose oil and diluting or stretching true rose oil. The essential oil itself is a deep green in color and has a strong, floral scent with hints of citrus and wood.
The usefulness of geranium essential oil can be summed up in one word: balance. This essential oil is physically and emotionally balancing. The sweet, floral scent can act as a stress reliever and sedative, promoting peaceful sleep. Geranium essential oil can help balance hormonal problems, like PMS and menopause.
Clinical studies have shown that geranium essential oil can be useful in stabilizing blood pressure. It can raise low blood pressure and lower high blood pressure. Simply smelling rose geranium essential oil can help your body stabilize blood pressure by a few points. You can also add the essential oil to a carrier oil or lotion for a massage or add a few drops of the essential oil to a bath for a soak. Using geranium essential oil won’t interfere with any blood pressure medication you may already be taking.
Geranium essential oil is an antiseptic, antifungal, and antibacterial. Added to a cream or lotion, it can help treat skin problems like eczema, acne, ringworm, and shingles. It is widely used in skin care, and may help relieve scarring and stretch marks.
The scent of rose geranium essential oil is great for neutralizing other scents. Have problems with pet odors? Geranium and lemon together make a great stink-busting combination. I like to put a few drops of both geranium and lemon essential oil on a cotton ball and stick it in the canister of my bagless vacuum — the exhaust blows out smelling wonderful, instead of smelling like two dogs.