without knowing about this specific application for PN. Must be that female intuition.

Anyways.....In the past year I have taken classes in reflexology and essential oils and I use both on John. Its been very helpful. It's not a cure but it has really helped on multiple levels. Now regarding the geranium oil....it's a very "female" scent and can linger especially if you use put your socks and shoes on right after applying it. So I decided to switch him to a more "manly" oil. I will now have to rethink the geranium and see if, in fact, it is more effective.

I started using geranium oil for its regenerative qualities and for increased circulation. Therapuetic grade Essential Oils can be very powerful and you really need to understand how to use them safely.

Marlene

Thanks for the input, Marlene. May I ask.... are you using the specific geranium oil mentioned in the patent I linked to? That claims that only "certain" geranium oil is useful. As I have no experience with this, I'd like to clarify that.

I do know that most essential oils need to be diluted some in order to be safe.
And never used internally either.

The geranium oil I have is Pelargonium Graveoleus. The orgin is from Egypt and India. So it is the same the genus. I went back and looked at the abstract and they said it's effective with PHN and RDS. That's pretty specific and neither of which I think John has even though he had a bout of shingles in 2003 which did make his overall PN worse at the time.

Regarding the application....There are quite a few oils that can be applied directly without dilution (neat). But if you are going to cover a large area, one - two drops in a ounce of nut/vegy oil is helpful. My book says that geranium should be a 50-50 dilution....one part EO to one part carrier oil. However, I use geranium neat without a problem. You need take into consideration the overall health and age of someone. Or if someone has lots of problems with contact dermatitis. Older people and the very young have thinner skin. The soles of the feet are the safest place. You can alway do a 24 hour patch test. If you are going to start using EOs regularly, then its a good idea to switch your hand/body lotions to product without all the nasty chemicals. Those can react to the oil over time.

With John, he rubs in one to two drops neat on his feet and applies a carrier oil to seal it in. It also keeps his feet moisturized.

Essential oils can be used internally but you really need to know what you are doing. And they need to be therapuetic grade. The French use them internally. I have used GAIA's oregano oil capsules when I've had a cold. It's very much like herbal medicine. I also use a mixture for a mouth rinse which is very helpful for the gums. But again, I'm talking about using maybe a drop or two. EOs are very strong.

PM me if you want to test this out. I would be more than happy to send you a small sample to try.

Marlene

I have this book, and sometimes refer to it.

http://www.tldm.org/tldmstore/greenpharmacybook.htm

Dr. Duke has a website too, with the ingredients of many plants listed.
It is amazing.

He claims that many compounds are absorbed into the body and circulation
from essential oils. He gives an example of Lavender oil... that it can be smelled on the breath minutes after application.

His book however is sparse on oils.

He has a wonderful database tho:
http://sun.ars-grin.gov:8080/npgspub...xsql?taxon=707
home page:
http://sun.ars-grin.gov:8080/npgspub...ke/listsp.xsql

I find it quite amazing that all those compounds are in geranium oil!

iherb even has it by NOW company:
http://www.iherb.com/ProductDetails.aspx?c=1&pid=924
Dang I just got my order for the next 3 mons... but I will put this on my list
for when I get back from the summer...and give it a try.

Thanks for the input, Marlene.
I guess it is important to use the Pelargonium graveolens form... since I did find other types
on the net during a brief search.
(as an aside... I am not a big fan of geraniums... I avoid them as plants in the garden. So I guess I'll have to
buck up on that issue!)

Yes it is very important to know what "genus" of the family you are using. In the typical fashion of less reputable companies, they will "miss label" the oil which can do one of two things....cause harm or not work as intended. A good example is lavender. Lavandula angustifolia (lavender) has been used for minor burn for centuries. But if a supplier users Lavandin (a lavender hybrid) and labels it a lavender, it will make the burn worse. The hybrid has a high content of camphor while the other has none. That is why you need to know the botanical genus of the oil you are using.

On the smell of geranium....I'm not familiar with how the plant smells but the oil is pretty strong. It's a heavier structure. It smells like rose and it took me while to get used to it. I like it better after it's been exposed to the air longer. My sister is not a fan of it unless it's mixed with other EOs to balance it out.

I should start testing various oils on John's feet and see if a pattern emerges. I've got one coming today that has pain relieving, cell regenerating and anti-inflammatory qualities. I do have to say that the skin on his feet is much improved over the past year since I've been working on them.

Oh, I am sure the OIL part is helping the feet. Many people have dry/damaged skin on the feet--which reflects poor dietary intake of EFAs.
Primrose oil for example is REALLY great on the skin. Heals sores, cuts, leaves no scar. The GLA in it is now used in very expensive cosmetics, (often with identity changed to conceal the secret). "Liposomes" is one term used.
Try mixing your EOs with it, and see what happens. I've used it on my hands many many times! Just open a cap! ( I think borage oil would work too)

Will do.....thanks...M

Hello!

I just joined this group and hope you can help me. I've been searching for therapeutic grade Geranium Oil (geranium oil - Pelargonium Graveoleus, Ait.) from Bourbon/Reunion Island. I know this is months after your post, but if you're still here, can you tell me where you bought yours?

Thanks so much,

"Snuzer"