On the windowsills of many apartments you can see a plant whose inflorescences catch the eye with bright, attractive flowers. It is easy to touch the plant, as the air fills with an incomparable pungent aroma in which bitter, tart and sweet notes are reunited. We are talking about geranium, or pelargonium. High-quality oil is made from its ground part, which is widely used for medical, cosmetic, perfumery and even culinary purposes. Read more about this in the article.

Description and chemical composition

Geranium oil was bred in France in 1819. The idea of ​​creating such a product was generated by the multifunctionality of pelargonium: it was widely used in medicine (for example, as a remedy for sore throat, inflammation of the ears, migraines and headaches).

Did you know? The words "geranium" and "pelargonium" are borrowed from the Greek vocabulary. In Russian, the first is translated as "crane", and the second – like a stork. Such associations are associated with the original form of flowers, which, according to florists and breeders, resemble the beaks of these birds.

This preparation is obtained by distillation: the surface parts of the flower (foliage, flowers, stems) are distilled on water vapor. To get 1 ml of the product, you need to use 1 kg of raw materials. At the end, it turns yellow-green, which has good flowability, a liquid that attracts attention with a wayward aroma: the smell of geranium is preserved, but pink-mint notes are added to it.

The composition of this tool contains about 100 components. Their presence and quantity may vary depending on the type of plant whose raw materials were used (and there are about 800 of them). The preparation is rich in aldehydes (citral), phenols (eugenol), alcohols (geraniol, citronella, myrtenol, linalool, alpha-terpineol), sesquiterpenes (cadinene), acids (geranium, formic, butyric, tiglinic), terpenes (sabin). As for the energy value, there are no proteins and carbohydrates in the composition of the ether - 100% fat composition. Calorie content - 899 kcal.

Oil properties

Geranium oil has a wide range of properties. But we must not forget about precautions.

Did you know? Bulgarians call pelargonium «health resort».

Read more about why such a drug can be used, and in which cases it is prohibited.

Benefit

• The number of pluses of this geranium medicine is simply amazing:
• It is an effective tool. treatment and elimination of ENT diseases. It is used for inflammation of the sinuses of the nose, middle ear, tonsils and pharynx, nasal and oral mucous membranes. First of all, it eliminates pain, and only then helps to eliminate the focus of inflammation. Effectively fights with tonsillitis, flu and runny nose.
• A good helper for those who suffer from migraines and ordinary headaches, as well as atherosclerosis. Geranium oil is capable relieve vascular spasmsthat are the sources of these diseases.

• In the spectrum of properties of pelargonium oils - heart function improvement: elimination of ischemic symptoms and tachycardia, a beneficial effect on microcirculation in the heart muscle.
• Promotes blood pressure normalization.
• For external use, it is recommended to use for treatment of diseases of a dermatological nature: herpes, fungi, eczema, pediculosis.
• Is used for toning dry skin - moisturizes it and normalizes fat balance. In the case of problematic skin type, it eliminates inflammatory processes, acne in adolescents, and peeling. It works to improve skin color, whitens, prevents aging, smoothes wrinkles. The skin on the hands becomes soft and tender, and on the legs all the cracks heal (especially on the feet and heels). Helps get rid of cellulite.
• Promotes skin restoration, which was damaged by burns, cuts, frostbite.
• If you suffer from dandruff and hair loss, Pelargonium oil will solve this problem.
• Used as painkillers - quickly and efficiently eliminates various types of pain: burn, menstrual, toothache, pain from fractures, rheumatism, arthritis, heals wounds. Widely used in the treatment of hemorrhoids. It accompanies fast bone fusion and wound healing.
• Geranium oil - famous antidepressant. Helps to overcome the attacks of depression, get rid of severe nervous over-excitement, stress and recover quickly after them. Raises the mood, relieves fatigue, improves performance. The secret lies in the ability of the drug to normalize the activity of the nervous and mental systems.
• For older people, the use of this tool is necessary, since activates mental and physical activity.

• Used when gastroenterological diseases (for the treatment of gastritis and stomach ulcers, diarrhea).
• It is popular in urology and gynecology: doctors will recommend geranium oil for eliminate inflammation in the urethra (fight against cystitis, urethritis). It can normalize the menstrual cycle, eliminate menopausal problems and inconveniences. It removes water from the body.
• Reduces sugar, which is very important for diabetics.
• Used in intimate sphere: helps to overcome frigidity, creates an atmosphere of an intimate nature. Pelargonium oil is considered a powerful female aphrodisiac.
• In the domestic sphere it is used as insect repellent: its smell repels flies, moths, mosquitoes.

Did you know? Popular beliefs say that white geranium must be used to increase fertility, and pink - in love magic.

Contraindications and Precautions

You can not be tempted by the impressive list of advantages of geranium oil and immediately begin self-medication. It is worth remembering what is good and what is harm. Geranium is no exception.

• That's when you need to be on your guard while taking this drug:
• during the period of bearing the baby and breastfeeding;
• do not exceed the terms of use: the drug is not recommended for use for more than three weeks, since negative phenomena (for example, allergic reactions) can be provoked;
• if you are prone to blood clots, it is not recommended to use such a remedy;
• children can be treated with this drug from the age of 6;
• It is contraindicated for those suffering from autonomic-vascular dystonia according to the hypotonic type;
• you can not take ether on an empty stomach;
• individual intolerance to the body.

Important! To make sure that the essential oil does not provoke an allergic reaction, conduct a mini-test. Drop a small amount of the selected fluid onto a hidden part of the body (for example, carpal bend). If after some time you started itching, a rash and redness appeared, then this drug is not suitable for you.

Basic rules for choosing a finished essential oil

Today one cannot be 100% sure that the manufacturer is conscientious and will not sell you a low-grade product. Before buying essential oils, you should familiarize yourself with some of the rules for their selection:

1. Examine the label of the product you are about to purchase. The first thing you need to pay attention to is the inscription "100% natural essential oil." If instead of “natural” they write to you about “unique”, “clean”, “concentrated”, “environmental”, then this should be alarming, because the true composition of the product is being kept silent. The label should be a source of information about the manufacturer, the botanical name of the plant from which the product is made, expiration date.
2. It has already been mentioned above how much raw material is needed to obtain pure geranium oil. So this tool can not be cheap. If you are offered this product at a low price, justifying it with promotions and discounts, do not be tempted: they want to deceive you and sell a liquid of dubious quality.



3. Pay attention to the container in which the drug is stored: it must be glass, only darkened glass is used. This is necessary so that under the influence of light the properties, chemical composition and color of the product do not change.
4. Ask if the bottle has a dispenser and a first opening ring.
5. Quality oils have an original smell, borrowed from the culture from which they are squeezed.
6. Ask the consultant about the chromatogram, that is, decoding, and a detailed analysis of the composition of the drug, require a quality certificate (international GMP, ISO standards).

Important! Despite your own conviction that pelargonium oil will not harm you, you should not start self-medication: seek the advice of a qualified specialist.

How to make geranium oil at home

Even after observing all the above rules, complete confidence in the acquisition of high-quality essential oil may not come. You will be convinced of the naturalness of the product when you cook it yourself. Making oil at home is easy. The main thing is to collect raw materials in time: flowers and leaves. This must be done during the flowering period of culture. According to the recipe, to get the essential liquid, you need two tablespoons of chopped leaves and flowers of the plant.

Prepared raw materials are poured into one glass of vegetable oil, and poured into a glass container, tightly corking. The container is placed in a dark and cool room. After 5 days, the bottle with the infusion is placed in the sun, where it should be one and a half months. Only then the mixture is filtered.

Important! To get more high-quality ether, as a raw material the best thing use geranium, which has a pink color of inflorescences. The product at the end will have a greenish tint and have a pleasant aroma (notes of rose and pelargonium will be captured).

Application features

Due to the wide range of properties, geranium ether is used as a medicine to cure many diseases. Widely popular in the field of beauty. For example, geranium oil is one of the assistants on the way to a slim figure, it is used for weight loss. Its use should go in combination with diets and physical exercises.

The strength of this tool is that it activates the metabolism, helps eliminate cellulite, improves blood flow, improves skin elasticity, helps burn the layer of fat, produces collagen, that is, it establishes many vital processes. It helps to establish an emotional background, relieve and relieve stress. There is no special instruction for the use of this product: it is simply added to massage mixtures with other oils (jasmine, bergamot, pink, neroly, tangerine).

Important! Take geranium ether inside for weight loss is not recommended.

Use geranium oil while waiting for the baby to be careful. Doctors recommend avoiding this remedy. Only in some cases can its use be useful if there are no warnings. So, during pregnancy, it is advisable to use pelargonium ether for preparing baths for relieving leg swelling. The liquid is used both singly and in a cocktail with others (lavender, calendula, lemon, neroli). If a pregnant woman suffers from insomnia, provoked by nervous tension, stress, anxiety, these symptoms can be removed by resorting to ethers. It is necessary to briefly open a jar of flavoring in the room where the woman will sleep.

Ether cocktails (using geranium) are effective for breasts. Geranium fluid works to improve heat transfer in the chest, accelerate cellular metabolism. In order for the breast skin to become tender, silky, elastic, it is necessary to do a light massage using essential cocktails (a mixture of almond, geranium, olive, jojoba).

Important! It is not recommended to apply concentrated geranium ether to the skin of the chest alone.

In cosmetology

In cosmetology, creams with the use of geranium oils, as well as face masks, hair products are popular.

For face

If your skin is constantly suffering from acne, you can use a simple and effective remedy: mix 10 ml of the base (use olive oil or face cream as the basis), 2 drops of geranium ether and chamomile and clove one at a time. Wipe the inflamed area in the morning and evening.

You can prepare a mask by mixing green clay (20 mg), Pelargonium ether (15 drops) and calendula infusion (20 drops). Apply such a product to steamed skin. The session lasts 20 minutes, after which the face is washed with a decoction of green tea. These funds not only rid the skin of acne, but also contribute to the rapid elimination of inflammation on the skin.

To prepare a remedy for eliminating wrinkles on the face, you need to grind one peach with a blender, add 20 drops of pelargonium ether and 25 ml of cream. The product is applied to the cleansed face, carefully covering all skin areas. The duration of the process is half an hour. Then the mask is removed with wet cotton pads.

If you suffer from excessive dryness of the skin, then you need to take pumpkin (15 g), ether (12 drops) and yogurt (10 g). The pumpkin needs to be baked and mashed to a puree state, thoroughly mixing it with other ingredients. Then apply on steamed face for 15 minutes and rinse.

Video: Application of geranium oil in cosmetology

A moisturizer can also be prepared in another way. To do this, mix applesauce (15 g), cocoa (10 g) and ether (20 drops). It should be remembered that the skin is prepared for the application of such a cream: it is first wiped with micellar liquid and only after that the prepared product is applied for 30 minutes. Then you need to clean your face with a cotton pad.

Did you know? With the flowers of pink pelargonium, you can protect your clothes from moths. It is enough to put the flower bags in the closet.

But the problem of oily skin will help solve a mixture of rye flour (15 g), vitamin B12 (one ampoule), and 20 drops of aromatic liquid. The flour is steamed on a nettle broth, then the remaining components are added. Apply this kind of cream for 30 minutes, then rinse with clean water.

To prepare a nourishing mask, you will need pelargonium fluid (20 drops), bodyaga (10 g) and retinol (5 drops). The care agent obtained from the mixed components is applied to the massage line for 20-30 minutes and washed off.

A product obtained by mixing tomato grated through a sieve, 10 g pea flour and 15 drops of ethereal liquid will help to cleanse the skin of the face. The cleanser is applied to a clean face and left for 20 minutes. Then the face is washed.

For hair

With the help of geranium ether, you can cure your head from annoying dandruff. It is enough to add 3-4 drops of this liquid to any hair mask. You can do massage by rubbing 4-5 drops of the product into the scalp. This will help increase blood flow to the roots and provide the follicles with essential vitamins. 15 minutes after massage movements with ether, you need to wash your hair with shampoo for your hair type.

To overcome hair loss, you need to add 4-5 drops of liquid to the shampoo during each wash.

A simple procedure will help restore damaged hair and strengthen it: moisturize your hair and apply one teaspoon of ether on it, then wrap your head in a towel. After 20 minutes, wash your hair with shampoo.

Important! Geranium ether (about 5 drops) is useful to add to any hair, skin, and nail care product.

For the treatment of diseases

Pelargonium ester is a universal drug that also differs in its healing characteristics, since it is used in various branches of medicine to cure many diseases.

Internal application

When taking ether inside, you should remember the only rule: you can not consume such a medicine in its pure form and on an empty stomach. The liquid must be diluted in water and drunk in the morning. The presence (or absence) of heartburn will help check the body's tolerance to such a drug. With the permission of the doctor, you can do the following test: dilute 5 drops of ether in one glass of water and drink. If after this there is no heartburn, you can use the drug as a medicine.

It is effective in controlling kidney stones, diarrhea and intestinal disorders, worms, and high blood sugar. It is also used as an antiseptic for diseases of the otorhinolaryngological nature, helps to tone the body.

For the prevention of infectious diseases, ether can be used inside. One drop of liquid is mixed with a spoon of honey or jam and swallowed, but only after eating. Then drink a glass of water, tea or kefir.

Important! The daily dosage of ether and the method of application must be strictly agreed with the doctor.

Outdoor application

Esterol is very popular for external use to eliminate skin problems (treatment of dermatitis, psoriasis, frostbite, herpes, scabies, eczema), as well as joint inflammation.

At home, you can prepare medicines for various ailments:

1. To eliminate a headache or migraine, you can try a simple but effective way: mix geranium oil with olive in a ratio of 3: 1. Grate whiskey, the back of the head, forehead, lower part of the foot and the back of the hand.
2. With skin problems (or the same headache), you can resort to the use of compresses. A few drops of ether are diluted in a glass of warm water. In the prepared liquid, moisten the cotton cloth and apply to the problem area of ​​the body.



3. Eliminate symptoms and eliminate the focus of otitis media will help a home-prepared drug, which includes olive and pelargonium ether (in a dosage of 2: 1). After preparing the medicine, soak a cotton swab in it and insert it into the ear.
4. To treat sore throat and other diseases of the throat, you can resort to rinsing with a liquid of 150 g of warm water and 5 drops of ether.
5. If you want to quickly get rid of wounds of a different nature or herpes, you need to lubricate the problem area with pure pelargonium oil.

Important! It is not recommended to carry out therapeutic procedures using ether in the evening, since this drug charges the body with energy, activity, gives new strength, which can provoke insomnia.

In cooking

Gives aroma and original taste to various dishes, drinks, pastries, desserts. Its smell complements drinks made from roses, bergamot, citrus. Especially popular in the preparation of desserts: in a cream for cakes, cakes and even in the dough for muffins, you can add a few drops of aromatic ether. Such a trick will not leave your household and guests indifferent to your culinary abilities.

Experienced housewives recommend putting a piece of geranium in a jar of jam so that mold does not appear on it.

Aromatherapy

The bioenergetic abilities of pelargonium ether were known even before our era. The tool was widely used in aromatherapy for air purification. People believed that it neutralizes poison. Today it has already been proven that aromatherapy with geranium oil helps to relax the body, cuts down nervous excitations and stresses, helps in the fight against inferiority complex, self-doubt. The tool is an excellent natural antidepressant.

To organize an aromatherapy session using this type of ether at home is quite easy. You can add a few drops of oil to the aroma lamp with warm water. For example, if the room area is 10 m², then 3-5 drops of aromatic ether will be needed. Session duration - 15 minutes. Such a procedure can be carried out no more than 3 times a day.

Important! Women should remember the prohibition of combining any type of geranium therapy with the use of contraceptives.

Combination with other oils

Pelargonium essential oil goes well with lavender, orange, cedar, lime, rose, clary sage, basil, sandalwood, petigren, citronella, rosemary, neroli, laurel, jasmine, grapefruit, angelica, bergamot, basil.

How to store oil

Purchased (or prepared with their own hands) geranium oil is stored in the refrigerator in a tightly closed glass container.

As you can see, the path to health and beauty passes through your windowsill, on which fragrant geranium flaunts - not just a flower, but a powerful natural aphrodisiac, whose raw oil is a source of strength, vigor, energy, and an instrument for combating diseases and health problems.

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