Geraniol

Geraniol is a fragrant, volatile, plant-based, liquid chemical that can be found naturally in many essential oils (specifically rose, palmarosa, and citronella essential oils).

It has a rose-like scent and is added as a fragrant compound to many skincare products. It is a potential irritant and may cause an allergic reaction in some people.

The name geraniol is derived from the geranium essential oil in which geraniol also appears. There is a bit of confusion about the plant names, so let’s take a look: Geraniaceae is a family that contains many pleasant-smelling plants. The most pleasant-smelling are Pelargoniums, which are the source of the geranium essential oil.

Another genus from the family is called Geranium, but their aroma is not as intense as Pelargonium and so they are not used as often. Pelargonium and Geranium were once joined as a single genus called Geranium, but then botanists had decided that they were actually far too different from each other to share a name.