GET TO KNOW YOUR OILS
Geranium South Africa
Pelargonium capitatum x Pelargonium radens cv. Rose
Chemotype: citronellol / geraniol / linalool type
- PLANT PART
- fresh leaves
- EXTRACTION
- steam distillation
- AROMA NOTE
- mid
LEARN AS YOU COMPARE
What’s inside this oil?
Constituents are the natural chemicals that give an oil its character. See the main ones, learn what they do, and explore differences between batches.
Meet the main constituents, then select one to see what makes it interesting.
FOLLOW YOUR SENSES
Aroma & character
A closer look at this oil's scent, strength, and staying power.
- Aroma intensity
- 80 / 100
- Note layer
- mid
If you like this scent, explore
A LITTLE CARE GOES A LONG WAY
Using it thoughtfully
Read the full safety context before bringing this oil into your routine.
- Cited dermal maximum · leave-on
- 17.5%
- Phototoxicity
- Not flagged in this profile
- Oxidation risk
- medium
A cited maximum is a limit, not a suggested dilution. Missing restrictions do not establish safety.
No phototoxic restriction was identified for this steam-distilled South African geranium profile.
Contraindications & cautions
- moderateA drug interaction may occur with drugs metabolized by CYP2B6.
Explore measured chemistry from supplier batches
A supplier report describes a particular sample. Open this workspace to investigate measured constituents and their original documents.
THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE SCENT
Inside the oil
An oil's character comes from its natural chemical composition. Explore each constituent to understand the connections.
About this composition
This South Africa record is based on a field GC-MS study of the commercially grown rose-scented geranium cultivar Rose in the Eastern Cape. The cited study shows major seasonal swings, so the retained constituent ranges combine the reported autumn, winter, and spring dominant values across the three sites rather than pretending a single static composition.
| Constituent | Typical amount | Reported range | Chemical family | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citronellol | 31.4% | 2.35–45.7% | monoterpene alcohol | View sourceA comparative study on essential oil yield and composition of rose-scented geranium commercially grown on three different sites of the Amathole region in the Eastern Cape, South Africa https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/d6a3/628a30c5bbb7a50f48287e2c3635dd9e14be.pdf lines 237, 241, 300, 328, 335 |
| Geraniol | 15.77% | 1.11–20.99% | monoterpene alcohol | View sourceA comparative study on essential oil yield and composition of rose-scented geranium commercially grown on three different sites of the Amathole region in the Eastern Cape, South Africa https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/d6a3/628a30c5bbb7a50f48287e2c3635dd9e14be.pdf lines 228, 232-243, 302, 329, 335 |
| Linalool | 11.71% | 0.26–16% | monoterpene alcohol | View sourceA comparative study on essential oil yield and composition of rose-scented geranium commercially grown on three different sites of the Amathole region in the Eastern Cape, South Africa https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/d6a3/628a30c5bbb7a50f48287e2c3635dd9e14be.pdf lines 229, 233, 238, 241, 297, 323, 335 |
| trans-Rose oxide | 2.17% | 1.23–6.87% | monoterpene oxide | View sourceA comparative study on essential oil yield and composition of rose-scented geranium commercially grown on three different sites of the Amathole region in the Eastern Cape, South Africa https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/d6a3/628a30c5bbb7a50f48287e2c3635dd9e14be.pdf lines 242-243, 298, 324, 339, 346 |
| Citronellyl formate | 7.43% | 1.82–18.11% | monoterpene ester | View sourceA comparative study on essential oil yield and composition of rose-scented geranium commercially grown on three different sites of the Amathole region in the Eastern Cape, South Africa; DATA SHEET – GERANIUM and ROSE GERANIUM https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/d6a3/628a30c5bbb7a50f48287e2c3635dd9e14be.pdf lines 230, 301, 326, 340 ; https://naturalingredient.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/DATA-SHEET-GERANIUM.pdf lines 47-53 |
| Guaia-6,9-diene | 3.25% | 2.02–4.04% | sesquiterpene hydrocarbon | View sourceA comparative study on essential oil yield and composition of rose-scented geranium commercially grown on three different sites of the Amathole region in the Eastern Cape, South Africa https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/d6a3/628a30c5bbb7a50f48287e2c3635dd9e14be.pdf lines 229, 238, 242, 307, 333, 336, 340; CAS cross-referenced from the archive's own guaia-6,9-diene constituent record (PubChem synonym data, CAS 36577-33-0) |
| Isomenthone | 6.5% | 6.5–6.5% | monoterpene ketone | View sourceGCMS Essential Oil Rose Geranium Organic LOT B448002 https://www.praannaturals.com/downloads/gcms/GCMS_Essential_Oil_Rose_Geranium_Organic_LOT_B448002.pdf (page 2 table; Isomenthone 6.50%); cross-cultivar corroboration from a related Pelargonium graveolens rose geranium GC/MS report, used because the primary Amathole-region South African cultivar study for this record was not re-fetchable in this pass (isomenthone is a standard citronellol/geraniol-chemotype rose geranium marker not itself quantified in the cited South African study text) |
Profile source: A comparative study on essential oil yield and composition of rose-scented geranium commercially grown on three different sites of the Amathole region in the Eastern Cape, South Africa; Geranium Essential Oil: Benefits, Uses & Insights; Rose Geranium South African Essential Oil · https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/d6a3/628a30c5bbb7a50f48287e2c3635dd9e14be.pdf ; https://www.aromaweb.com/essential-oils/geranium-essential-oil.php ; https://www.kusharomaexports.com/essential-oils/rose-geranium-south-african-essential-oil
A TRADITION OF BOTANICAL CURIOSITY
Traditional & reported uses
These uses reflect the profile's reported traditions and literature. They are not established treatment recommendations.
- traditionally used in aromatherapy for balancing and uplifting mood
- reported to support emotional calm during times of stress
- used in skincare blends for a soothing, harmonizing facet
- traditionally associated with balancing effects in women's wellness aromatherapy traditions
- used in perfumery as a rose-substitute note, with this South African cultivar noted for a linalool-softened floral-green profile
For aromatherapy and wellness use only — not medical advice. Effect statements are traditional/reported associations, not treatment claims. The Synergy Rating scores blend craft, harmony and safety, not medical efficacy. Read the safety framework.
What we're still learning · 4 data gaps
Good decisions start with knowing what is — and isn't — in the evidence.
- The source composition is seasonal and site-variable rather than a single supplier batch, so pct_typical values are representative retained markers rather than a standardized market average.
- CAS for guaia-6,9-diene has been filled in as 36577-33-0 by cross-referencing the archive's own guaia-6,9-diene constituent record (this is the same compound already used, with confirmed CAS, in the primary geranium.json record).
- Odor intensity 80 is an archive normalization of public 'strong aroma' wording rather than a native published 0-100 measurement.
- Total closure remains below the 0.95 target (approximately 78%) because the primary Amathole-region South African cultivar source PDF could not be re-fetched in this pass (repeated attempts returned a web-fetch rate-limit error), so additional named constituents and their seasonal ranges from that same paper's GC-MS tables could not be transcribed. One additional row (isomenthone 6.5%) was added as cross-cultivar corroborating data from a related Pelargonium graveolens GC/MS report rather than from the primary South African cultivar study itself; a follow-up pass should retry the Amathole-region PDF to extract the remaining named peaks directly.