Geranium Oil

Even though there are around 700 varieties of geranium, only about 10 supply the valuable essential oil, which is obtained by distilling the leaves and shoots with steam.  The oil, with its fresh, rosy, citrusy scent, stimulates the senses.  It can renew your energy when you feel exhausted and calm you when you feel angry or irritable.  Geranium oil also helps balance the hormones, making it a good option for women who are troubled by menopausal symptoms.  Because of its cleansing and antiseptic properties, the oil has proved valuable in healing wounds and fighting infections.  Geranium essential oil can help most skin types because its stimulating action helps boost the regeneration of skin cells and aids the healing of acne and blemishes.  Diluted, it also helps control excessive oiliness of the skin and soothe dry, sensitive skin.  The geranium oil will give your skin a healthy glow, making it appear more youthful and radiant.  Many cosmetic lotions contain geranium oil, as it soothes irritated skin and helps control acne.  Geranium oil blends well with most other oils, including lemon, grapefruit, lavender, rosemary, jasmine bergamot and ginger essential oils.
Recipes

Insect Repellant
Geranium oil is especially well suited to warding off insects, particularly mosquitoes.  The following mixture used in a nebulizer or diffuser provides for perfect insect-free evenings.
5 drops geranium oil
3 drops clove oil

To help insect bites - Geranium can help with the aggrevation of swollen, itching mosquito bites.  Simply dilute 2 drops of pure geranium oil in 1 ounce of witch hazel.  Dab on affected area with a cotton ball.  This will help the swelling go down.

For acne - Geranium is an antiseptic and anti-flammatory.  After daily cleansing, dab a little of a geranium-witch hazel dilution on individual pimples with a cotton ball.

To feel good - If plants could speak, the message from the geranium would be, "Don't do a thing, let yourself be pampered."  The pleasant scent of geranium, when mixed with rose oil is ideal for making a body oil combination to pamper yourself in a bath, with a facial or in a hair rinse.  The oil relaxes the body and softens the skin.

For concentration problems - You can begin to feel more in control of your hectic life and decrease absentmindedness by inhaling the scent of geranium oil.  The clear, light scent will aid you in organizingh your thoughts and improving your memory.  You can also mix 2 drops of geranium oil with 2 drops of rosemary oil to enliven your senses.  Add some to a tissue and keep in your purse when you travel or place the mixture in your car diffuser.

To reduce swelling in the legs - rub them with a mixture of 3 tbsp of sweet-almond oil, 8 drops of geranium oil and 5 drops of lemon oil.  After applying the mixture, elevate your legs slightly and rest for for 30 min.  The oils unblock the lymph nodes and prevent edema. 

To help fade scars - use geranium oil mixed with neroli oil: mix 5 drops each of geranium and neroli oils into 3 tbsp of odorless enriched skin cream.  Massage into the scar tissue to keep it supple. 

To ease menstrual pain and cramps, a bath with geranium oil will provide relief.  Add 6 drops of geranium oil, 3 drops of jasmine oil and 2 drops of clary-sage oil to 1 1/2 cups of whole milk and pour it into your bathwater; soak in the tub for at least 30 min or more.

Geranium oil can give your new optimism when your're feeling worn-out and apathetic.  Place 3 drops each of geranium and bergamot oil in the nebulizer.