Category Archives: Essential Oil Information

Bergamont Essential Oil – Unveiling It’s Past

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Bergamot essential oil has that little interesting past like every other essential oil has…Bergamot oil does many benefits to us and our body parts we precisely value most…

Although a native of tropical Asia, Bergamot (Citrus bergamia) is now extensively cultivated in the Southern part of Italy, particularly in the Calabria region. It also takes its name from an Italian city, that of Bergamot in Lombardy, where the essential oil was originally sold. The Italians have used Bergamot in folk medicine for years, in particular for fevers.

Recent Italian research has shown that Bergamot essential oil has a wide variety of uses in aromatherapy application; it is useful for respiratory problems, skin diseases, mouth and urinary tract infections. It has been used since the sixteenth century as a remedy for fever and as an antiseptic. It is also renowned for being used as the flavoring in Earl Grey Tea.

Bergamot essential oil is obtained from the cold expression of the peel of nearly ripe fruit of the Bergamot tree. The small fruit tree is a characteristic of the southern Italian landscape; its small, round fruit is very bitter and is inedible when raw. The fruit looks like a miniature orange. The essential oil obtained from the fruit of the Bergamot tree has a citrus-like aroma but also a spicy undertone.

A primary component of the fragrant eau-de-cologne, Bergamot oil also has a number of therapeutic uses in aromatherapy. It has a high content of the chemicals esters and alcohols, making it a gentle oil to use. Bergamot oil is useful for digestive difficulties, stress, infectious wounds, as an insect repellent and for cystitis. It is

▪ Analgesic

▪ Stimulant

▪ Diuretic

▪ Antiseptic

▪ Antidepressant

▪ Deodorant

▪ Tonic

Bergamot is known to be one of the most photo toxic essential oils and for this reason should be used with care in sunlight, hot climates and with other ultraviolet light. Photo sensitivity is caused by the presence of furocoumarins, most notably Bergapten, in this particular essential oil. Apart from this factor, Bergamot is considered to be a relatively non-toxic and non-irritant essential oil.

Essential Oils Throughout History

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Essential oils have been used throughout recorded history for a wide variety of wellness applications. The Egyptians were some of the first people to use aromatic essential oils extensively in medical practice, beauty treatment, food preparation, and in religious ceremony. Frankincense, sandalwood, myrrh and cinnamon were considered very valuable cargo along caravan trade routes and were sometimes exchanged for gold.

Borrowing from the Egyptians, the Greeks used essential oils in their practices of therapeutic massage and aromatherapy. The Romans also used aromatic oils to promote health and personal hygiene. Influenced by the Greeks and Romans, as well as Chinese and Indian Ayurvedic use of aromatic herbs, the Persians began to refine distillation methods for extracting essential oils from aromatic plants. Essential oil extracts were used throughout the dark ages in Europe for their anti-bacterial and fragrant properties.

In modern times, the powerful healing properties of essential oils were rediscovered in 1937 by a French chemist, Rene-Maurice Gattefosse, who healed a badly burnt hand with pure lavender oil. A French contemporary, Dr. Jean Valnet, used therapeutic-grade essential oils to successfully treat injured soldiers during World War II. Dr. Valnet went on to become a world leader in the development of aromatherapy practices. The modern use of essential oils has continued to grow rapidly as health scientists and medical practitioners continue to research and validate the numerous health and wellness benefits of therapeutic-grade essential oil.