Palmarosa

Cymbopogon martini

Middle (heart) note Floral Green Essential oil

Soft, sweet rose with a light lemony-grassy edge — like a rose geranium without the mint. Pleasant and uncomplicated.

Made from: Steam-distilled from the dried grass of palmarosa, a relative of lemongrass.
Strength: ●●●○○
Cost: Budget
Moods: Uplifting Calming Clean
Seasons: Spring, Summer
Rooms: Bathroom, Bedroom, Laundry

Blend with it

Rich in geraniol, a mild sensitizer; keep amounts moderate in skin products. No other special cautions at normal use.

How it behaves

CandlesGood

Throws better than you'd expect for the price; good for stretching a rose blend.

Wax meltsGood

Reed diffuserGreat

Room & linen sprayGreat

Electric (water) diffuserGreat

Cold-process soapGreat

Sticks well and doesn't discolor; an inexpensive way to add a rosy heart to soap.

Melt-and-pour soapGreat

Laundry & cleaningGood

Pairs well with

Don't have it? Try Geranium, Rose.

In these blends

Rose Geranium Garden

A rosy, green-edged garden bench at the height of June.

Geranium · Bergamot · Palmarosa · Sandalwood · Mandarin

Top 30% Middle 50% Base 20%

RomanticUpliftingSpringSummer

Island Evening

Warm night air, a hammock and something floral drifting in from the dark.

Mandarin · Geranium · Sandalwood · Ylang Ylang · Palmarosa

Top 33% Middle 44% Base 22%

RomanticSensualSummer

Midnight Oud

Dark rose and smoky wood in a candlelit room late at night.

Geranium · Bergamot · Palmarosa · Sandalwood · Pink Pepper · Oud

Top 29% Middle 50% Base 21%

SensualRomanticAutumnWinter

Orange Blossom Water

A Mediterranean courtyard where the orange trees are in bloom.

Petitgrain · Benzoin · Neroli · Mandarin · Palmarosa · Jasmine

Top 31% Middle 46% Base 23%

UpliftingRomanticSpringSummer

A little lore

Because it is rich in geraniol, the main rose-scented molecule, palmarosa oil has long been used to stretch or imitate costly rose oil.