While the geranium flower produces a beautiful bloom and is one of my mom’s personal favorites, the oil extracted from this plant contains properties that we can benefit from in a variety of ways, both inside and out. Today I’m going to share with you several of the incredible benefits of Geranium Essential Oil (herein after GEO for brevity’s sake) whose health benefits have been used for centuries.
GEO is a wonderful oil and its medicinal actions can be attributed to its properties as an astringent, hemostatic, cicatrizant, sytophylactic, diuretic, deodorant (yes, deodorant), styptic, tonic, vermifuge and a vulnerary agent, to name more than a few.
If you’re trying to figure out what all those mean, I’ll briefly outline them:
- Astringent – Constricts body tissues/cleans
- Hemostatic – Something capable of stopping or hindering blood flow
- Cicatrizant – Promotes healing with scar tissue
- Sytophylactic – Protection of cells
- Diuretic – Reduce water/fluid volume
- Deodorant – Reduce odor
- Styptic – Hinders bleeding
- Vermifuge – Means anti-parasitic
- Vulnerary agent – Heals wounds
The main ingredients of geranium essential oil
Its main components are alpha-pinen, menthone, linalool, myrcene, limene, geranyl acetate, citronellol, geraiol, and geranyl butrate, all of which assist in the various bodily systems. The leaves, stems, and petals of this plant are all used to produce the oil. GEO has a sweet, almost rosy, floral, and fresh scent, but it is bold and may take some adjusting if you’re not familiar with it. It is commonly used in fragrances, but that is only the beginning of the many uses of this incredible oil.
Before we dig deeper, it is important to note that this oil should not be ingested, but rather diluted and used in other manners such as adding a few drops to a warm bath, adding a few drops to one of your lotions, using it in a diffuser or inhaling it. If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, please speak with your physician before using this essential oil.
1. Reproductive Health Benefits
Geranium can help to regulate your menstrual cycle and for those who have endometrioses, this oil might be beneficial when massaged into the pelvic area. Again, be sure to blend this oil with a mild lotion or otherwise dilute it before use. This essential oil is also thought to help balance the system of the body responsible for regulating hormones and fertility, which might be helpful for those looking to conceive.
It is an also anti-inflammatory oil and can help women with pain from menstrual cramps and PMS, fatigue, acne, symptoms of menopause, infertility, and other female reproductive disorders. It goes without saying (but I’ll say it anyway), this is not a cure-all, though it might boost function in areas of the body that can have a positive impact on certain aspects of reproductive health which is pretty cool, especially if you’re looking for a natural, at home alternative.
2. Mind and Mood
GEO is a great option if you’re looking for something that produces a calming atmosphere. This essential oil can help bring you balance and has uplifting properties. It has been known to bring you a sense of peace when in an emotional crisis, can cleanse your aura, and has been used widely to help people feel more connected and grounded, especially those who have chronic anxiety or anger issues. It has also been known to have anti-depressive effects and reduces stress and fatigue.
Be sure to use it sparingly as too much may actually have the inverse effect and stimulate you. This oil is commonly used in aromatherapy for the above-noted reasons and is also beneficial when used as a massage oil as it has rejuvenating effects.
GEO can boost the health of your skin (which I’ll get into next) due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. You can dilute this oil with a carrier oil or add a few drops to a diffuser and let it fill the room for a pain-free auto-reset. Perhaps you want to invest in an extra bottle to keep in your desk drawer for those especially trying days at the office!
3. Skin Healing Benefits
GEO is like a floral fountain of youth essential oil! It’s an oil you may very well use daily once you discover how fabulous and gentle it is with many skin conditions. You’re beautiful as you are, but if you want to clear up your acne, reduce your varicose veins, spot treat a problem area, or just generally tighten your skin, geranium essential oil might be your new best friend!
Not only does this essential oil help to clear up blemishes, acne, eczema, and other skin condition, it prevents bacterial growth. It speeds up the healing process with wounds in general and might help with wrinkles. Put some in your face cream.
Here’s an ARTICLE I wrote about serums, face cream and sleep masks.
This essential oil can help with clogged pores and because of its anti-inflammatory qualities, it can help to soothe those inflamed areas during and after a breakout. Geranium oil is great for spot treatments and helps to heal the look of scars because it increases blood circulation under the skin.
But I know you want to hear how it reduces lines and wrinkles. Because of its astringent properties, geranium essential oil enhances circulation and thereby tightens different muscles (naturally!) including blood vessels, skin, gums, and intestines, among others.
This can give you a more toned appearance and may reduce signs of aging such as preventing saggy skin and smoothing fine lines. A flower (oil) a day keeps the aging lines away! Perhaps you want to add a few drops to your moisturizer and use it before bed (recall it doubles as a calming agent).
I should also note that it can fight issues like hair and teeth loss. GEO can be blended with your shampoo or conditioner (or diluted with water, coconut oil, or other mixtures that please you) and massaged into the scalp and hair. If all this wasn’t enough, it also helps to reduce the appearance of varicose and spider veins.
Geranium essential oil is an effective antibacterial and can help with more than two dozen types of bacteria and fungi infections. This essential oil (mixed with a carrier oil) when applied to a wound and can prevent bacteria microbes from developing.
As an astringent and a styptic, GEO causes blood vessels to contract and slows or stops the flow of blood when used for medicinal purposes.
It’s also a hemostatic agent which means it can stop/hinder bleeding. It does by increasing the rate of coagulation and natural blood clotting. Given these incredible traits, it’s no wonder that this essential oil can stop hemorrhaging thus aiding in the prevention of toxins from entering the bloodstream through unclotted wounds.
Geranium essential oil speeds up the healing process by improving blood circulation because of its antimicrobial, antibacterial, and cytophylactic qualities. All of these qualities also lend to the reduction of the look of scars and improve the look of new skin during healing.
You may want to invest in this oil if you have a surgery or procedure coming up as the above-noted qualities can be of great benefit post-op (with doctor approval, of course). It’s also great to keep on hand if you have kids (or if you’ve been a bit clumsy lately).
BIT O’ EVERYTHING
Okay, the list of healing and palliative effects for geranium is too long to cover each one in depth in this one article, but I assure you they are all incredible! Considering how many different areas of the body (and mind) this essential oil can support us in our journey to health and wellness, here’s a brief list of some additional things you may be interested in using GEO for:
4. Head Lice
5. Hemorrhoids
6. Minor burns
7. Neuropathy (nerve pain) even TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA or Atypical Facial Pain
How to Use Geranium Oil?
You can dilute this oil with a carrier oil or add a few drops to a diffuser. You can also just take a whiff of it from straight out of the bottle, or dab it to your palms or the bottom of your feet for relaxation.
Do NOT ingest or consume geranium oil internally. It is only intended for topical use, or via diffuser/aromatizer. Please only apply topically and combine the GEO into a carrier oil, or the treatment you already use (for example, a drop in the Preparation H, or a drop in the lice shampoo you have).
The list of how much geranium oil can be used is astonishing!
People sometimes use this daily by putting a drop of it into their favorite moisturizer or cleanser and then applying it to the skin. This will help dry skin, clogged pores, acne, eczema, dermatitis, and other blemishes. That’s because GEO contains strong anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory compounds that make it great for skin health.
Feeling ambitious? Make Your Own Geranium EO!
Here’s an image from Healthline’s website that describes the steps to making your own geranium essential oil. It is also widely available from Doterra, Young Living, and other makers that you can google/shop for.
Suzy Cohen, has been a licensed pharmacist for over 30 years and believes the best approach to chronic illness is a combination of natural medicine and conventional. She founded her own dietary supplement company specializing in custom-formulas, some of which have patents. With a special focus on functional medicine, thyroid health and drug nutrient depletion, Suzy is the author of several related books including Thyroid Healthy, Drug Muggers, Diabetes Without Drugs, and a nationally syndicated column.
