Bergamot, the prince of citrus fruits

Bergamot is one of the most widely used essences in the perfume industry due to its fresh and floral aroma. Here, we will discuss the precious essential oil and all its properties: the heavenly scent of Bergamot uplifts and protects us.

The Bergamot Plant

The Bergamot tree grows up to 3-4 meters tall with a shiny canopy of oval leaves and light green fruits. Originally from Asia, like most citrus fruits, it found its ideal habitat in certain areas of Calabria, which offer the best climatic conditions for the ideal growth of this plant.

It was the Portuguese who imported Bergamot to Europe and enabled its spread in Calabria and Sicily during the 17th century. Although initially used as an ornamental plant, the fruit's peel was soon used in digestive, febrifuge, and refreshing infusions.

The Bergamot plant is particularly sensitive to temperature fluctuations; the chemical characteristics of the essential oil vary significantly if atmospheric conditions have not been particularly favorable for fruit ripening. This explains why Bergamot cultivation is found in limited areas and contributes to determining the high value of the raw material.

How Bergamot Essence is Extracted

The "essence" of Bergamot is called that only when it is still inside the fruit peel; once extracted, it is called "essential oil." It is important to check, when purchasing a product, that the description says essential oil and not essence, as this term can indicate a synthetic product.

The essential oil extraction process occurs through cold pressing of the peels, as with other citrus fruits. Once the peel is separated from the fruit, specific machinery is used to press the opercula – the sacs containing the essential oil, visible even to the naked eye. Subsequently, the obtained liquid is passed through a centrifuge that separates the essential oil from the aqueous part (hydrosol).

What are the Benefits of Bergamot?

All essential oils have both a physical effect – generated by the interaction of active ingredients with our body – and an aromatherapeutic effect, due to the message that olfactory molecules deliver to the thalamus, the brain's center for emotions. Let's see what the benefits of Bergamot are.

Subtle Aromatherapy

In aromatherapy, the Prince of citrus fruits unblocks obstacles, helping one to follow their path with joy and serenity. Bergamot is the essential oil of flexibility, reducing psychological responses to stress and warding off anxiety due to change. A natural antidepressant, it soothes emotional pain and supports those who want to find inner peace. It relaxes the mind and at the same time sharpens the senses. When diffused in a room, it energetically cleanses the air, renewing it: this feeling of cleanliness regenerates thought and reduces the urge to smoke. The essential oil is also suitable for study and work environments, where concentration and collaboration are necessary.

How to Use Bergamot Essential Oil for Acne

Bergamot is an essential oil that purifies both the skin and the scalp, which is why it is frequently used in toners, creams, masks, and lotions to combat acne. It has disinfecting, anti-itch, and healing properties that promote the healing process of this annoying skin condition.

How to use Bergamot for acne? Add a few drops of essential oil to your night cream, to the toner you use to clean your face, and to your mask, making sure to mix the compound well. The recommended dilution is between 0.5 and 1% (10 drops per 100 ml of product). Pay particular attention to using Bergamot only in evening treatments: it is a photosensitizing essential oil and reacts to sunlight.

Essential oils are great allies of beauty if used with due care: the high concentration of active ingredients means that their action is even better if used in the correct dilution, which allows the molecules to penetrate the dermis better.

For Psoriasis

Bergamot is also used as a remedy for psoriasis: it is an antipruritic, limiting the urge to scratch the typical plaques symptomatic of this condition. An anti-inflammatory, it gently soothes redness and disinfects small lacerations. In this case too, the correct dilution is 1% in a neutral cream or carrier oil.

For Vitiligo

The treatment of vitiligo with Bergamot essential oil involved the doctor brushing the amelanotic spots with the oil and then exposing the area to a UV treatment. The reason for using Bergamot essential oil for vitiligo is that it contains phototoxic substances, which cause hypersensitization and possible hyperpigmentation: for the same reason, Bergamot was used in self-tanners. Currently, these methods are outdated, and other remedies for vitiligo are used. The only thing that remains current is the advice never to expose yourself to sunlight after applying Bergamot essential oil: the risk, especially if you have fair skin, is to generate sun spots and annoying redness.

For Cellulite

Bergamot proves to be an excellent ally against cellulite and water retention, as it works on both aspects that often determine them: the accumulation of toxins and poor microcirculation. If massaged daily in dilution on the lower limbs – remember that it is necessary to avoid using it before exposing the treated area to the sun – the essential oil facilitates the disposal of toxins that accumulate due to inadequate drainage and stimulates venous circulation.

For Hemorrhoids

The healing and antiseptic properties of Bergamot make it suitable for local applications in cases of hemorrhoids, after 1% dilution in almond oil: it will prevent the inflammation from worsening due to the bacterial load in the area. If a more incisive action is desired, Lavender and Cypress can be added to the mixture: the former, anti-inflammatory and cell-regenerating, will allow the skin irritation to subside, while the latter, with its marked circulatory properties, will strengthen blood vessels.

Once therapeutic doses are established, the antiseptic action of Bergamot essential oil proves particularly effective in cases of urinary tract infections. Application to the lower abdomen (2 or 3 times a day) is recommended as an adjuvant treatment in cases of cystitis.

To Treat Cholesterol

Bergamot juice contains about 350 polyphenols - similar to statins - capable of inhibiting the synthesis of "bad" cholesterol and the formation of triglycerides (while avoiding the contraindications of statins themselves, such as diabetes). Recent studies, in which 500 mg of juice was administered daily to individuals with high cholesterol, showed that it decreased by an average of 38%, as did blood sugar (25%) and triglycerides (41%). This citrus fruit therefore confirms itself as a friend of the heart, as it actively contributes to preventing cardiovascular diseases. With prior medical advice, the use of this useful nutraceutical can be attempted at the onset of the problem or as an adjunct to appropriate treatment.

The properties of Bergamot also act on the digestive system: one or two drops of essential oil in a spoon of honey, possibly diluted in an herbal tea, help to eliminate abdominal bloating and bad breath, facilitating good digestion.

Perfumes with Bergamot and Benzoin

Bergamot (or, more often, its synthetic reconstruction) is widely used by the perfume industry for its pleasant fresh and floral note, which is finer and more sophisticated than that of other citrus fruits. A very popular combination in perfumery tradition is that which combines Bergamot and Benzoin, a resin with a sweet and balsamic scent.

Olfattiva, which uses exclusively pure essential oils as ingredients for its perfumes, has created an aromatherapy product that pays homage to this perfumery tradition: Bonita Bergamot, Orange, Vanilla, Benzoin, and Jasmine give rise to a soft and sweet, gourmand fragrance that recalls the traditional Sicilian sweets. Inside, a small secret of ancient perfumery: we won't reveal it, but we'll let you enjoy it. Bonita represents the positivity of the feminine, the celebration of warmth and the earth. In this composition, which refers to the tension of a sun-ripened fruit, Bergamot could not be missing.