Geranium

Genus Pelargonium

Pelargonium oils owe their rose-like, slightly green-floral character to a dominant pairing of β-citronellol (typically around 30% of the oil) and geraniol (around 15%), monoterpene alcohols that together account for much of the genus's antimicrobial potency.^[3] Rose geranium (P. graveolens var. roseum) shifts the balance further toward geraniol, intensifying the rosy facet, while standard geranium leans slightly greener and more herbaceous. A clinical study found that inhalation of P. graveolens essential oil significantly reduced anxiety scores in patients with moderate-to-severe pain, supporting its traditional use as a balancing and calming aromatic agent.^[4]

Geranium

Pelargonium graveolens

Also Known As: Rose Geranium
Family: Floral
Perfumery Note: Middle
Intensity: Medium
Extraction: Steam Distillation
Plant Parts: Leaves
Origins: Egypt, China, Madagascar
Effect: Balancing, Calming & Relaxing
Aroma: Floral, Sweet, Rosy
Applications: Aromatherapy, Perfumery, Skincare, Bath & Body, Massage
Price: $$$$A specific cultivar bred to smell more like roses; moderate yield

Pelargonium graveolens yields one of perfumery's most versatile florals: a rose-green bouquet underpinned by citronellol (20-30%) and geraniol (10-20%), with a faintly herbaceous, minty freshness that distinguishes it from true rose. Widely grown in Egypt, Réunion, and China, it functions as a cost-effective rose substitute and a valuable balancing note in floral accords. Its antimicrobial character is well-documented: geranium oil inhibits all clinical Staphylococcus aureus isolates tested — including MRSA and multidrug-resistant strains — with MIC values of 0.25-2.50 μL/mL, an activity attributed primarily to its combined citronellol and geraniol content.^[3] Phytochemical profiling confirms the oil also delivers potent antioxidant activity across multiple assay systems.^[4]

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Rose Geranium

Pelargonium graveolens var. roseum

Also Known As: Bourbon Geranium, Rose-Scented Geranium
Family: Floral
Perfumery Note: Middle
Intensity: Medium
Extraction: Steam Distillation
Plant Parts: Leaves
Origins: Reunion Island, Madagascar, South Africa
Effect: Balancing, Uplifting & Energizing
Aroma: Floral, Rosy, Sweet
Applications: Aromatherapy, Perfumery, Skincare, Bath & Body, Massage
Price: $$$$Pelargonium graveolens var. roseum is cultivated mainly in South Africa and Egypt; large plantation scale and reliable steam-distillation yields keep it among the more affordable floral oils

Rose geranium shifts the aromatic balance of standard geranium towards a fuller, more convincing rose character, owing to a higher proportion of geraniol and esters including geranyl formate and citronellyl formate that soften and sweeten the profile. Citronellol remains the dominant constituent (typically 40-44%), but the elevated geraniol fraction makes it the preferred variety for perfumers seeking an affordable rose substitute. A GC-MS characterisation of P. roseum oil demonstrated antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria as well as complete inhibition of Candida albicans growth in disc-diffusion assays.^[5] The rose-scented P. graveolens composition study further confirmed superior antioxidant capacity and broad-spectrum antibacterial reach across multiple assay systems.^[4]

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Bourbon Geranium

Pelargonium x asperum

Also Known As: Géranium Bourbon, Réunion Geranium
Family: Floral
Perfumery Note: Middle
Intensity: Medium
Extraction: Steam Distillation
Plant Parts: Leaves
Origins: Réunion, Madagascar
Effect: Balancing, Calming & Relaxing
Aroma: Floral, Rosy, Green, Sweet
Applications: Aromatherapy, Perfumery, Skincare, Bath & Body, Massage
Price: $$$$Grown on Réunion Island (historically known as Île Bourbon); the island's limited agricultural land restricts total production volume, and the Bourbon provenance commands a premium over other geranium origins

Bourbon geranium (Pelargonium x asperum), steam-distilled from the aerial parts of plants cultivated on Réunion island (historically known as Île Bourbon), is dominated by the oxygenated monoterpenes β-citronellol, geraniol, and their corresponding formate esters, with isomenthone levels that vary with altitude and temperature during the growing season.^[1] The oil is distinguished from other geranium origins by sesquiterpene markers including guaiane-type components, and its high citronellol-to-geraniol ratio has been linked to characteristic rose-like aromatic quality.^[1]

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Egyptian Geranium

Pelargonium graveolens

Also Known As: Rose Geranium (Egypt), Geranium Egypt
Family: Floral
Perfumery Note: Middle
Intensity: Medium
Extraction: Steam Distillation
Plant Parts: Leaves
Origins: Egypt
Effect: Balancing, Uplifting & Energizing
Aroma: Floral, Rosy, Sweet, Herbaceous
Applications: Aromatherapy, Perfumery, Skincare, Bath & Body, Massage
Price: $$$$Egypt is the world's largest producer of geranium oil; the high cultivation volume and competitive local labour costs make Egyptian geranium the most affordable of the named geranium origins

Egyptian geranium (Pelargonium graveolens L'Hér.), steam-distilled from plants cultivated in Egypt—one of the world's largest producers, exporting over 250 tonnes annually—yields an oil whose principal constituents are β-citronellol (≈22-30%), citronellyl formate (≈13%), geraniol (≈11-15%), and linalool.^[1] GC-MS profiling of Egyptian-grown material identifies compositional variation attributable to climate, altitude, and phenological stage at harvest.^[1] The oil demonstrates documented antimicrobial activity, including antibiofilm efficacy against drug-resistant clinical isolates.^[6]

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Essential Nose

Geranium

Geranium

Rose Geranium

Bourbon Geranium

Egyptian Geranium

References