Palmarosa Essential Oil
Botanical Name: Cymbopogon martinii
Common Method Of Extraction: Steam distilled
Parts Used: Leaves, stalks, and flower heads
Note Classification: Middle
Aroma: Sweet, floral, rosy, geranium-like
Largest Producing Countries: Nepal, India, and Pakistan
Traditional Use: Used extensively as a fragrance component in cosmetics, perfumes, and especially soaps due to excellent tenacity. Used for the isolation of natural geraniol.
Properties: Antibacterial, antibiotic, antifungal, anti-infectious, antiseptic, antiviral, cicatrisant, cytophylactic, digestive, emollient, febrifuge, nervine, stimulant (digestive, circulatory), tonic (heart), and vermifuge.
Benefits: Acne, anorexia, athlete’s foot and other fungal infections, bronchitis, convalescence, cryptococcus, dermatitis, digestive atonia, eczema, general fatigue, intestinal infections, mature skin, nervous exhaustion and stress related conditions, regeneration of the skin, regulates oil production of the skin, scar tissue, skin infections, tissue regeneration, uterine tonic, vaginal infections, and wrinkles.
Blends Well With: Amyris, bay, bergamot, cananga, cedarwood, chamomile roman, clary sage, clove, coriander, frankincense, geranium, ginger, grapefruit, guaiacwood, juniper, lemon, lemongrass, mandarin, oakmoss, orange, patchouli, petitgrain, rose, rosemary, rosewood, sandalwood, and ylang ylang.
Of Interest: Of the same family as citronella and lemongrass. It is used in love-attracting rituals. Used to be called “Turkish geranium oil” or East Indian geranium oil”. Because the high geraniol content makes it smell rose like, palmarosa is often used to adulterate rose essential oil. It is shaken with gum Arabic solution and left in the sun- a process which makes it lighter in color, thus more like rose oil.
Safety Data: Non-toxic, non-irritant, and non-sensitizing.