All About Bergamot Oil!

Bergamot oil is a pale emerald green oil, cold pressed, from the fruit peel of the Citrus Bergamia tree. This tree blooms colorful flowers of red, pink, purple or white. It grows a fragrant fruit called the Bergamot Orange. This fruit is the size of an orange, with a green-yellowish color. More than eighty percent of Citrus Bergamia trees are grown in southern Italy. It's grown in France and the Ivory Coast, mostly, for its essential oil.

Bergamot juice has a sour fruit taste. It tastes less sour than a lemon but more bitter than grapefruit. It's distinctive aroma is used in Earl Grey tea. Bergamot is not grown for consumption, but instead for its essential oil. One hundred bergamot oranges will yield about three ounces of oil. Bergamot oil has a thin consistency.

BENEFITS: Antiseptic, Antibiotic, Anti-spasmodic, Astringent, Deodorizing, Therapeutic
USES: Flavoring, Fragrance, Aromatherapy, Skin Care, Medicinal

FLAVORING

The essence of bergamot is used a flavoring in foods: Earl Grey Tea, Lady GreyTea and Marmalade. It's used as a preserve in sugary syrup.

FRAGRANCE

Bergamot has a sweet, spicy, floral, citrus scent. Bergamot essential oil is found in many colognes, for men and women. It's the main ingredient in the, long standing, 4711 Eau-de-cologne.

AROMATHERAPY

It's used for aromatherapy benefits since it is known to treat anxiety and depression. It has an uplifting, inspiring, confidence-building effect. Do not ingest this oil without the supervision of a professional therapist. If you're pregnant, nursing, taking any medication or have any medical condition, be sure to consult your physician first before using aromatherapy.

Bergamot essential oil can be used as a room deodorizer to create a positive, mood enhancing, environment. Mixing it with lemon oil and lime juice, used in a burner, can eliminate bad odors.

SKIN CARE

Bergamot oil has a cooling, refreshing nature. It's ideal for calming inflamed skin such as psoriasis, eczema, seborrhea, acne, insect bites or other minor skin wounds. It has antiseptic properties to ward off infections and speed recovery. Soaking in a warm tub with a few drops of bergamot oil can provide relief to the shoulders or the back, relieve muscle tension, anxiety and stress. Add a few drops of bergamot oil to warm boiling water and use as a facial steam, for acne relief and more.

Bergamot essential oil is used in commercial and homemade skin care products. Use it for making homemade soap, homemade lotion, creams or other toiletries. It combines well with: basil, lime, clary sage, jasmine, nutmeg, sweet orange, frankincense, geranium, juniper, lavender, lemon, rosemary, sandalwood, violet, vetiver, jojoba and yang yiang. Bergamot oil can add a nice touch to homemade soap or homemade lotion when mixed with complimentary scents. Just remember, it only takes a drop or two in your homemade soap recipes or homemade lotion recipes for maximum benefits. Never apply bergamot oil or any essential oil, directly to the skin. Know the cautions of using essential oils.

ESSENTIAL OIL CAUTIONS

CAUTION! Essential oils contain bioactive ingredients. This means they contain natural chemicals that interact with biological systems. They're potent chemicals and should be used with care! Never use large amounts of essential oils externally, or internally. Never use them straight. They must always be diluted in carrier oil, or soap, lotion, or other buffering agent. Finally, never use without knowing what their bioactive compounds are known to do.

CAUTION! Skin treated with bergamot oil should be kept out of the sun, due to possible photosensitivity. Bergamot contains a constituent called bergaptene, that increases the skin's sensitivity to sunlight. Most of the sensitizing bergatene has been distilled out of bergamot essential oil, but some traces may remain. Bergamot BF means "bergatene free". Bergamot essential oil is safe to use but use simple precautions. For example, if you apply lotion to your skin, with bergamot oil, avoid excessive sunlight. If you take a bath, with bergamot oil, take it at night instead of the morning to avoid daytime sunlight to skin.

OTHER MEDICINAL USES

Bergamot can be made into a tea by boiling five or six fresh leaves, ( or one teaspoon of dried leaves), into eight ounces of boiling water. This tea can help sore throats, nausea, coughs, colds, diarrhea and menstrual cramps. Add a dash of honey to it for sweetening. If you'd like, you can just inhale the steam for similar medicinal effects.