Bergamot Essential Oil

Bergamot essential oil uses

Bergamot essential oil is highly touted for its soothing use as an aromatherapy treatment.

The earliest roots of the bergamot tree can be traced to Southeast Asia. It’s currently grown in many parts of the world, but achieved its prominence and name in the town of Bergamo in southern Italy.

It’s prized for its soothing scent, spicy taste, and wide range of uses.

Here are a few ways you can keep its scent close:

• Mix bergamot essential oil with a carrier oil to use as a body lotion or for massage.
• Add two to five drops of Bergamot essential oil to products such as body wash, shampoo, and facial scrubs.
• Use it as an ingredient in aromatherapy. For example, bergamot essential oil can be added to scent homemade candles and air fresheners. You can also dab it in vaporizers to distribute its scent in a room or add it to potpourri.
• Dab it on a bandana or handkerchief for a soothing scent on-the-go.

To use bergamot oil as a spot treatment:

• Apply bergamot oil mixed with a carrier oil directly to pimples, cysts, and blackheads.
• Leave on overnight.
• Do not use or leave this treatment on during the day or in sunlight.

You can also mix the diluted oil into water or your favorite cleanser to use as a facial rinse.

Bergamot oil enthusiasts (and people who love soft, lightly scented hair), swear by this essential oil’s ability to soften and tame curls. Anecdotal evidence indicates that bergamot oil may also be soothing to an irritated scalp.

To use, put a few drops in your usual shampoo. You can also mix one to two drops with a tablespoon of carrier oil and massage it into your scalp as an overnight treatment.

Using Bergamot oil with other essential oils

Many other essential oils can provide similar benefits. Try experimenting with the ones you like, and mixing them with each other. Some to try include:

• Lavender oil. Lavender is a classic scent for aromatherapy. It’s often used in skin, hair, and acne products and treatments.
• Tea tree oil. Touted for its antibacterial properties, tea tree oil may fight acne and soothe skin inflammation.
• Chamomile oil. Soothing as a tea or on the skin, chamomile may also elevate mood.

Stress reduction

A small 2015 studyTrusted Source done on women in Japan found that inhaled bergamot oil mixed with water vapor reduced feelings of anxiety and fatigue.

Similarly, a 2013 article published in the journal Current Drug TargetsTrusted Source reported that aromatherapy with bergamot (among other essential oils) can relieve depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders by signaling the brain to release dopamine and serotonin.

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