Bergamot essential oil is one of the most popular essential oils in perfumery and cosmetics! The oil is yellow to green in colour with an uplifting, bright and citrusy aroma.
The bergamot fruit is a citrus fruit that is a similar size to an orange, but the colour of a lemon or lime.
Keep reading to find out what it is, its history and what it can be used for!
Contents
- How is Bergamot Essential Oil Made?
- History of Bergamot
- FCF Bergamot VS Natural Bergamot Oil
- What is Bergamot Essential Oil Used For?
- Bergamot Oil Safety
- How Sustainable is our Bergamot Essential Oil?
How is Bergamot Essential Oil Made?
The bergamot fruit is grown in Italy in the region of Calabria and is harvested by hand.
The peel of the bergamot fruit goes through a process called cold pressing, except the fruit isn’t exactly pressed. The bergamot fruit is actually scraped, peeled and washed, then the essential oil is separated from the water.
Bergamot oil is more expensive than most citrus essential oils as it takes about 200kg of bergamot fruit to produce just 1kg of essential oil.
Unfortunately, bergamot essential oil is often subject to adulteration. Some suppliers will dilute the pure, expensive essential oil with cheaper oils (like orange or lime), or dilute the oil with synthetic compounds.
History of Bergamot
The bergamot citrus plant grows in hot, tropical climates. It is believed to be native to South East Asia, but the majority of the world's bergamot is also grown in the Mediterranean, specifically the Italian Calabria region. This region is responsible for producing 90% of the world's bergamot essential oil.
Bergamot has been used for centuries in medicine to treat many different things. It was used to help improve the digestive system, relieve muscle pain, promote skin health and to reduce anxiety and depression.
It was first recorded in perfumery in 1714, found in the Farina Archive in Cologne. Today, bergamot is still very popular in the perfume industry and in cosmetics.
FCF Bergamot VS Natural Bergamot Oil
You may have noticed that most bergamot essential oils say it is FCF bergamot. FCF stands for Furanocoumarin-Free. But what does that mean?
Furanocoumarin is a group of toxic compounds that naturally occur in bergamot. These compounds are phototoxic, meaning they will cause damage to the skin when exposed to sunlight.
To create FCF (Furanocoumarin-Free) bergamot, they have to remove those compounds. The cold pressed essential oil goes through a molecular distillation process to reduce the phototoxic elements down. However, they are not fully removed so there are often small traces left.
FCF bergamot essential oil is the only type of bergamot that is safe to use! FCF bergamot oil can be diluted at around 2%, whereas natural bergamot has to be used below 0.4%. Natural bergamot contains all of the phototoxic compounds and should not be used in any cosmetic products or perfumes.
What is Bergamot Essential Oil Used For?
Bergamot essential oil has a beautiful citrusy aroma with complex floral accents. It is most popular in perfumery as it creates a bright and balanced fragrance. It is also used in aromatherapy for its refreshing and uplifting benefits.
It is also often added to essential oil blends in diffusers and soap making, as it pairs well with most essential oils. Bergamot essential oil is used as a top note and blends well with citrus and floral scents.
Here is one of our favourite blends with bergamot essential oil:
- Bergamot oil 3 drops
- Clary sage oil 2 drops
- Lavender oil 6 drops
- Cedarwood oil 1 drop
Bergamot Oil Safety
Bergamot essential oil must be diluted in a carrier oil before applying to the skin. It must not be applied directly to the skin and it is not suitable for consumption.
We recommend doing a patch test on a small area of skin with the diluted oil before applying. This is to ensure the essential oil does not cause irritation.
Please consult a doctor before use if pregnant and always keep out of reach of children.
How Sustainable is our Bergamot Essential Oil?
Some of the key issues when growing bergamot fruits and producing essential oils, is the amount of water usage and waste.
Bergamot is a citrus fruit and it requires a lot of water to grow. To keep water usage down, our suppliers carefully manage and rationalise the water irrigation to ensure that only a limited amount of water is used. The exact amount of water used can vary from orchard to orchard and from year to year. It also depends heavily on the current climate conditions and the age of the trees.
To reduce waste, our suppliers repurpose all of the waste, including the peel and pith left over from the fruits, by using it as animal feed or returning it to the soil as a natural fertiliser. The citrus juice is also recovered and reused in the food and confectionary industry.
To reduce water waste, our suppliers reuse the water for the extraction process. Once the water and essential oil are separated, the water is then reused in the next process.
Our suppliers are actively working towards using more renewable energy. With their growing number of factories, they are now adopting solar power to meet their energy needs.
Not only are our suppliers increasing their sustainability, they are also helping the local communities. The bergamot industry is a key contributor to the local economy of the region of Calabria and of southern Italy.
Continue Reading
Now you know more about bergamot essential oil, why not read more?
- Want to know the difference between essential oils and fragrance oils? Read our in depth blog to find out!
- Interested in ylang ylang essential oil? Learn more about what it is, how it's made and its sustainability here!
- Learn about how sustainable our butters are with our blog!
Let us know what you think of bergamot essential oil in the comments!
