For all tense, anxious or depressed people, Bergamot Essential Oil should be used in a massage oil (either alone or in a variety of blends) as the human contact with the therapist is perhaps the most important factor in such situations; but daily use as a bath oil, room fragrance or personal perfume can be very valuable additions to the treatment.
Botanical Name: Citrus Bergamia
Origin: Italy
Colour: Expressed oil is light green in colour. BF FREE oil is clear in colour.
Safety Data: Use Bergamot Essential Oil BF FREE if your skin will be exposed to sunlight after application.
The Bergamot tree (Citrus Bergamia) takes its name from the small town of Bergamo in Northern Italy, around which it was originally cultivated. The fruit (like a miniature orange), has been used for hundreds of years in Italian folk medicine, but not in that of other countries, as the tree was almost unknown outside Italy, and the fruit was not exported until relatively recent times.
The three main areas in which Bergamot Essential Oil is uniquely valuable are: urinary tract infection, depression and anxiety, and skin care.
Bergamot Essential Oil has a strong affinity for the urino-genital tract, and is one of the most valuable oils (along with Chamomile Essential Oil and Garlic Essential Oil) in treating cystitis and urethritis. Many cases of cystitis begin as urethritis, and the infection travels up the urethra to the bladder. Bergamot Essential Oil used in the very early stages, can often prevent the infection from spreading upwards in this way. It should be added to the bath, and used as a local wash (very diluted-to ½ % or 1%). Bergamot Essential Oil is especially valuable to people who suffer from recurrent attacks of cystitis, as it is a powerful disinfectant of the urinary system.
Many people with recurrent cystitis are also tense, anxious or depressed, and this can become a vicious circle, in which the tension sparks off an attack, and the lowering effects of the illness lead to even greater depression. Although Chamomile and Garlic are both valuable for the physical treatment of this debilitating condition, there is nothing better than Bergamot to break this chain reaction, by relieving the tension and depression, whilst actively treating the physical causes.
The fragrance is equally acceptable to men and women, and it blends with almost any flower oil, giving it considerable versatility. Lavender/Bergamot, Geranium/ Bergamot or all three of these oils together, are among some of the most pleasing combinations. It is particularly valuable for adding a sharper note to some of those oils which may be over-sweet to some people's tastes.
Dr Jean Valnet mentions the use of Bergamot Essential Oil for loss of appetite, and this, combined with its powerful antidepressant properties, would seem to indicate a valuable possibility for helping in anorexia nervosa.
The antiseptic properties of Bergamot, allied to its really delicious fragrance, make it the first choice for treating acne, oily skins and all infected skin conditions. It can be used in a massage for facial treatment, or blended in creams, lotions or aromatic waters.
A hot compress of Bergamot Essential Oil can be used on boils to draw out the infection and promote healing, though a person with boils should also be advised on dietary and other ways of eliminating toxins.
Bergamot is also an effective insect repellent, and is used commercially for this purpose. It needs to be re-applied fairly often, and is probably more effective in a blend with Lavender and other oils. It is also used commercially in various preparations intended to keep cats and dogs away from plants, and here again, fresh application every few days is needed to make it really effective.
