Geranium Essential Oil: Uses, Research, Safe Dilution and Pet Safety

Geranium essential oil has a rosy, green scent that has made it a perfumery staple for two centuries. This article covers where the oil comes from, what the research actually shows, and how traditions use it. You will also learn how to dilute it safely and why it should stay away from cats.

What geranium essential oil is

Despite the name, geranium oil does not come from a true geranium. It comes from Pelargonium graveolens, a shrubby plant in the Geraniaceae family. Gardeners call pelargoniums “geraniums”, but botanists keep the two genera apart. The hardy cranesbills of the genus Geranium produce no commercial oil.

Kew’s Plants of the World Online lists Pelargonium graveolens as native from eastern Zimbabwe to the Eastern Cape of South Africa. The French botanist Charles L’Héritier published the name in 1789. The plant has since naturalized in places such as the Canary Islands, Sicily and parts of the Caribbean.

You will often see the oil sold as rose geranium. Commercial plants are frequently selected cultivars or hybrids bred for a stronger rose note. That is one reason oils from different farms smell noticeably different.

How geranium oil is made

The oil sits in tiny glands on the leaves and stems, not mainly in the flowers. Producers harvest the leafy stems and steam-distill them. The yield is small: one Egyptian analysis recorded about 0.26% oil by weight.

The water left behind carries a faint scent and is sold as geranium hydrosol. It is far milder than the oil, though it still needs clean handling and storage.

What is inside the bottle

A 2025 review in the journal Pharmacia summarized recent chemical analyses. The main aroma compounds vary widely with country, cultivar and harvest time.

Ranges from the studies summarized by Balabanova and colleagues (2025). Individual oils fall anywhere within these ranges.

The trade recognizes two main styles. “Bourbon” oil, historically from Réunion island, has roughly equal citronellol and geraniol and a softer rose scent. “Chinese” oil is higher in citronellol and smells sharper and greener. Egypt, China, South Africa and India are now major producers.

Geranium essential oil benefits: what the research shows

Many websites list a dozen benefits for geranium oil. The research supports far fewer, and most of it is early. Here is what the studies actually found.

Anxiety during labor: one randomized trial

In 2015, Rashidi Fakari and colleagues ran a randomized trial with 100 first-time mothers in Iran. Women in the first stage of labor inhaled either geranium oil or a placebo. Anxiety scores and diastolic blood pressure fell in the geranium group.

This is a single hospital study with no follow-up trials confirming it. It took place under medical supervision. It is a promising signal, not proof, and it is no reason to use oils in pregnancy without your midwife or doctor.

Period pain: one small massage trial

An Iranian double-blind trial enrolled 90 university students with primary dysmenorrhea, meaning painful periods without another cause. One group had a 15-minute abdominal massage with 5% geranium oil. A second group had the same massage with plain almond oil, and a third had no treatment.

Pain fell more in the geranium group than with almond oil, over two cycles. The trial was small, drew on one student population, and lasted only two months. Painful periods that are severe or getting worse need a doctor’s assessment.

Lab and animal studies

The 2025 Pharmacia review screened 58 recent papers and included 29. Almost all tested geranium oil in test tubes, on insects or in rats. Findings included antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. The authors noted that no clinical trials were part of their review.

Lab results matter, but they rarely translate directly to people. An oil that kills bacteria in a dish does not make it a treatment for an infection. Any wound or skin infection needs proper medical care.

What the big health agencies say about aromatherapy

The US National Cancer Institute’s PDQ summary describes aromatherapy research as mixed. Some small studies found less anxiety, while a trial of 313 people found no difference. Geranium appears there as part of a blend tested in one mastectomy study.

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) says little rigorous research exists on aromatherapy for problems such as insomnia. Neither agency recommends geranium oil for any medical condition.

Traditional, perfumery and spiritual uses

From South African hillsides to Grasse

Scented pelargoniums reached European gardens in the 1600s and 1700s and became a Victorian favorite. Their perfume history started later. The Pharmacia review dates distillation trials in Lyon to 1819, and the first plantation in Grasse to 1844.

Algeria and Réunion later became the great producers, which is where the name “Bourbon geranium” comes from. Perfumers prized the oil because it echoes rose at a fraction of the price. Historically, it was also used to stretch or imitate costly rose oil, a practice buyers still watch for today.

Rose geranium in the kitchen and garden

Cooks have long laid fresh rose geranium leaves in sugar jars or cake tins to scent them. Victorian flower dictionaries gave scented geraniums meanings such as preference and gentility. Those meanings belong to folklore and etiquette, not science.

Modern aromatherapy and energy traditions

In modern aromatherapy, geranium is often described as “balancing” and linked to the heart chakra, Anahata. Some practitioners add it to Reiki or meditation rituals and speak of its “vibration”. These ideas come from twentieth-century aromatherapy and New Age practice. They are beliefs, and no research measures them.

It is also worth being clear about Ayurveda. Pelargonium graveolens is a South African plant that was not part of classical Ayurvedic texts. Modern writers sometimes map it onto the doshas, but that is a recent interpretation, not an ancient teaching.

If a scent ritual helps you slow down, enjoy it on those terms. Our guides to rose oil and lavender oil cover two oils often blended with geranium.

How to use geranium essential oil safely

Essential oils are highly concentrated plant chemicals. The NCI notes that about 220 pounds of lavender flowers make roughly one pound of oil. Treat a few drops of geranium oil as a strong product, not a gentle one.

Dilution for skin

The Tisserand Institute’s first rule is simple: never put undiluted essential oil on your skin. Risk rises with concentration. Lower is safer, especially for the face, for daily use and for anyone with sensitive skin.

The chart below converts common percentages into drops. It assumes about 20 drops per milliliter, which varies by dropper, so treat the numbers as close approximations.

Children need much lower dilutions, and the Tisserand Institute publishes a separate age chart. Ask a qualified professional before using any essential oil on a child.

Mix the oil into a carrier such as jojoba, sweet almond or fractionated coconut oil. Do a patch test before wider use. Apply a little of the diluted blend to your inner forearm and wait 24 hours. Stop if you see redness, itching or swelling.

Diffusing and inhaling

For diffusers, the Tisserand Institute suggests running them intermittently, about 30 to 60 minutes on and then 30 to 60 minutes off. Keep the room ventilated. For direct inhalation such as a steam bowl, limit sessions to 15 to 20 minutes.

A few drops on a tissue or a personal inhaler are a gentler way to enjoy the scent. They also keep it away from other people and pets who did not choose it.

Do not swallow it

The Tisserand Institute advises against taking essential oils by mouth unless a qualified practitioner directs it. The NCI also warns against swallowing large amounts. Never add drops to water or drinks, and keep bottles out of children’s reach. Child-resistant caps help, but they are not foolproof.

If a child swallows essential oil, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 in the US right away. Call emergency services if they have trouble breathing, a seizure, or become drowsy or hard to wake.

Blending geranium oil for scent

Perfumers treat geranium as a middle note. It bridges bright top notes and deeper base notes. It pairs well with lavender and rose, with citrus oils such as sweet orange, and with woods such as cedarwood.

Count every oil in a blend toward your total dilution. Two drops of geranium plus two drops of lavender in a teaspoon of carrier makes a 4% blend, not 2%. Keep the combined total within the chart above.

Take care with citrus partners. The NCI notes that citrus oils applied to skin before sun exposure can cause sun sensitivity. Cold-pressed bergamot is the best-known example. For skin blends, choose a bergapten-free bergamot, often labeled FCF, or keep citrus for diffusing only.

Geranium oil safety: skin, pregnancy, children and medicines

Skin sensitization

Citronellol, geraniol and linalool are all on the European Union’s list of fragrance allergens. Cosmetics sold there must name them on the label above set levels. Geranium oil is rich in all three, so it can trigger allergic contact dermatitis in some people.

Sensitization can build up over time. Someone may use an oil for months and then suddenly react. Old or oxidized oil raises the risk, because linalool and similar compounds become stronger allergens as they age in air and light.

Who should take extra care

• Pregnancy and breastfeeding: the Tisserand Institute advises speaking to a doctor or suitably qualified practitioner first.
• Babies and young children: use only with professional guidance and at much lower dilutions. Never apply it near a child’s face.
• People with eczema, dermatitis or fragrance allergy: they are more likely to react. Talk to a dermatologist first.
• People with asthma: strong scents can trigger symptoms in some people. Diffuse lightly or avoid it.
• Anyone taking prescription medicines: ask a pharmacist before regular use, especially before any use beyond occasional inhalation.

Is geranium essential oil safe for cats and dogs?

Cats are especially at risk because their livers lack an enzyme needed to break down many essential oil compounds, as the Ontario SPCA explains. The oil can build up in their bodies. Birds are also highly sensitive to airborne oils.

• Never apply geranium oil to a pet, even diluted.
• Do not diffuse it in a room a pet cannot leave, or around birds.
• Store bottles where pets cannot knock them over or lick spills.
• Wash your hands after using it before stroking a cat.
• Talk to your veterinarian before using any essential oil at home.

If you think your pet has been exposed, contact your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 in the US. The service may charge a consultation fee.

The same warning applies to the living plant. Scented geraniums and the familiar bedding pelargoniums, such as the zonal geranium, should sit out of reach of curious pets.

Choosing a quality oil and sourcing it responsibly

Pelargonium graveolens is grown as a farm crop rather than gathered from the wild. That makes it a lower sustainability concern than wild-harvested oils such as sandalwood or palo santo. The main issues are honest labeling and adulteration.

A price far below other sellers can signal oil stretched with cheaper synthetic citronellol or geraniol. That does not make it dangerous by default, but it is not the oil you paid for.

Growing rose geranium at home

You do not need a bottle to enjoy the scent. A potted rose geranium releases it whenever you brush the leaves. Because the plant comes from South Africa, it is frost-tender and grows as a houseplant or summer patio plant in colder climates.

• Light: full sun outdoors, or the brightest window indoors.
• Water: let the top of the soil dry out between waterings. Soggy soil causes root rot.
• Soil: a free-draining potting mix with added grit or perlite.
• Winter: bring it indoors before frost and water sparingly.
• Propagation: stem cuttings root readily in spring or late summer.
• Pruning: pinch the tips to keep it bushy, and use the trimmings to scent sugar or a linen drawer.

Keep the plant away from pets that like to chew leaves. More plant guides are in our garden section.

Common mistakes with geranium oil

1. Using it neat on skin. Undiluted oil is the most common route to irritation and allergy.
2. Assuming “natural” means gentle. Its main compounds are recognized allergens.
3. Diffusing all day. Intermittent, ventilated diffusing is the safer pattern.
4. Sharing the air with a cat or bird. They cannot process the oil the way people do.
5. Treating a skin problem with it. Infected cuts, spreading rashes or acne flares need a doctor, not an oil.
6. Using an old bottle. Oxidized oil is more likely to sensitize skin.
7. Adding drops to water to drink. Oil and water do not mix, and swallowing it is not advised.

For more scents and their safety notes, browse our essential oils collection.

Your one step before you open the bottle

Make a 1% test blend: 1 drop of geranium oil in a teaspoon of carrier oil. Dab it on your inner forearm and wait a full day. If your skin stays calm, you have a safe starting strength. If you live with a cat, choose a tissue or personal inhaler instead of a diffuser.

Sources

1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Pelargonium graveolens L’Hér. Plants of the World Online. powo.science.kew.org
2. Balabanova V, Zheleva-Dimitrova D, Gevrenova R. Recent studies on Pelargonium graveolens L’Hér.: a review on chemical composition and biological activity. Pharmacia 2025; 72: 1–12. pharmacia.pensoft.net
3. Rashidi Fakari F, Tabatabaeichehr M, Kamali H, Rashidi Fakari F, Naseri M. Effect of inhalation of aroma of geranium essence on anxiety and physiological parameters during first stage of labor in nulliparous women: a randomized clinical trial. Journal of Caring Sciences 2015; 4(2): 135–141. doaj.org
4. Aromatherapy massage with geranium essence for pain reduction of primary dysmenorrhea: a double blind clinical trial. Iranian Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Infertility. ijogi.mums.ac.ir
5. National Cancer Institute. Aromatherapy and Essential Oils (PDQ), patient version, updated September 2023. cancer.gov
6. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Aromatherapy. nccih.nih.gov/health/aromatherapy
7. Tisserand Institute. General Safety Guidelines. tisserandinstitute.org/safety
8. Tisserand R, Young R. Essential Oil Safety, 2nd edition. Churchill Livingstone, 2014.
9. ASPCA Animal Poison Control. Scented Geranium. aspca.org
10. Ontario SPCA and Humane Society. Are diffusers safe to use around pets? ontariospca.ca
11. European Union. Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products, Annex III (labeled fragrance allergens including citronellol, geraniol and linalool).