BERGAMOT
a rare combination of both floral and fruity
Bergamot essential oil is uplifting, encouraging, sunny and bright (as fruity-citruses usually do) while also having very special qualities for calming and soothing (as florals usually do)
Citrus bergamia, (the bergamot orange ), is a fragrant citrus fruit the size of an orange, with a yellow or green color similar to a lime, depending on ripeness.
Genetic research into the ancestral origins of extant citrus cultivars found bergamot orange to be a probable hybrid of lemonand bitter orange. Extracts have been used as an aromatic ingredient in food, tea, perfumes, and cosmetics.
Bergamot is the most delicate of the citrus plants, requiring special climate and soil in order to thrive. Italians have used Bergamot for years to reduce feelings of stress and to soothe and rejuvenate skin. In Greece, the unripe fruits are used as sweetmeats, eaten by the spoonful as a dessert or with coffee. Bergamot is unique among citrus oils due to its ability to create both an uplifting and calming environment.
It is also purifying and cleansing for the skin while having a calming effect.
Main bio- constituents: Limonene, linalyl acetate, linalool, terpinene, β-pinene
Bergamot´s qualities include:
Stimulating to the digestive fire and a resonance with the solar plexus chakra
Mild relaxant-sedative . . . one of its floral attributes
A mood lifter, helping to alleviate heavier moods and some light depression. It has been shown to lower excessively high cortisol levels (due to stress and inflammation) quite effectively.
Going along with the solar plexus theme, bergamot is very useful in helping to allieviate tension arising from worrisome anxiety.
It is an anti-spasmodic and often used in blends to help menstrual cramping.
Astringent, it toning for the uterus and pelvic tissues, helping life energy to circulate here
Anti-microbial (as are most citruses)it can be used to help heal skin wounds, skin disorders like eczema and psoriasis
Studies have shown it to reduce high cholesterol.
Get started using your BERGAMOT essential oil today
For helping your solar plexus area become more resilient:
Mix a few drops of pure bergamot essential oil with a teaspoon of jojoba oil and rub it in counter-clockwise circles over your solar plexus area.
For helping with skin disorders such as psoriasis or eczema:
Mix 1 drop Bergamot + 1 drop Melaleuca (Tea Tree) in a neutral creme or jojoba oil and apply to the affected area.
(Always good to do a little spot test first for skin sensitivity)
For Emotional Burnout
1 drop Vetiver - 10 drops Bergamot - 2 drops Lavender (in 30 ml carrier oil)and massaged with loving care on your upper chest, ears or back of neck
or this same combination (1-5-2) in your ultrasonic diffuser
For worry-some anxiety:
15 drops Bergamot - 5 Lavender - 10 geranium (in 30 ml carrier oil)and massaged on your solar plexus area
or this same combination (5-2-3) in your ultrasonic diffuser
**Remember, Bergamot is concentrated sunshine in a bottle . . . so do be aware that Bergamot can cause photosensitivity, so avoid direct sunlight or UV rays for up to 12 hours after application on the skin.
Some clinical studies around BERGAMOT essential oil
A handful of studies have been conducted to examine the potential bergamot oil benefits. It shows good results in helping to alleviate negative emotions, fatigue and lower saliva cortisol levels (a hormone often called the body's "stress hormone")
A 2015 study looked at three distinct groups of individuals. One group received rest, the next group received rest and water vapor, and the final group received rest, water vapor, and bergamot essential oil. After fifteen minutes of exposure to their assigned treatment, researchers took saliva samples to measure cortisol levels.
They determined that participants who received rest, water vapor, and bergamot essential oil for a short period of time had the most significant decrease in their salivary cortisol levels.
A 2017 study published in Phytotherapy Research, for instance, found that exposure to the aroma of bergamot essential oil for 15 minutes improved participants' positive feelings in the waiting room of a mental health treatment center.
