Bergamot Essential Oil
Botanical Name: Citrus bergamia Risso & Poit.
Family: Rutaceae.
Synonyms: Citrus x aurantium L. ssp. bergamia (Risso & Poit) Wight & Arn. ex Engl.; bergamot orange.
Origin: Native to tropical Asia. Bergamot grows almost exclusively in Calabria (Italy), France. Also grown commercially on the Ivory Coast.
Botanical Description: A delicate, small tree about 4-5-meters (16 ft) high, with smooth oval leaves. The plant flowers twice a year-in the spring and at the end of summer. The fruits are orange like, but much smaller in size.
Oil Extraction: Essential oil is obtained by cold expression of the peels (pericarp) of unripe fruits. The oil is a clear, yellowish-green mobile liquid. Yield 0.5%.
Aroma Profile: Bergamot has a rich, sweet-fruity, citrus top note. The middle note is more oily herbaceous, floral-citrus and sweet. Dry out is lightly sweet-balsamic, clary-sage like, tea like.
Major Constituents: Limonene, linalool, linalyl acetate, γ-terpinene, β-pinene.
Adulterants: Bitter orange oil, lime oil, synthetic linalool and linalyl acetate.
Regulatory Status: GRAS 182.20.
Aromatherapy: Bergamot essential oil is uplifting, normalizing, confidence-building.
Blends well with: Coriander, cypress, geranium, lavender, jasmine, roman chamomile, neroli.
Safety Data: Mild skin irritant. Dilute before use. Phototoxic.
