Joyful Bergamot Oil....

Bergamot essential oil comes from the rind of the fruit produced by the Bergamot tree, it takes is name from the small town of Bergamo in Northern Italy where it was originally cultivated. This edible fruit is very sour, tastes a little like a lemon and grapefruit combined and grows mainly in the Mediterranean climate, its oil is a yellow to yellow green in colour.

It has a particularly strong aroma, citrus but with an added spiciness and is widely used in perfumes. Interestingly it is used in a very popular tea which we all know as Earl Grey!

This oil has many health benefits, one of which is to uplift the mind and spirt. If you suffer from anxiety, tension or depression, a massage using a Bergamot based massage oil can work wonders. Using it daily in either a diffuser, oil burner, adding it to a bath oil or a carrier oil for use on skin and even using a drop or two in a cup of tea can all be valuable additions.

It creates a feeling of freshness, joy and energy by improving the circulation of the blood. It aids digestion helping the body to absorb nutrients and breakdown sugar enabling lower sugar levels. It will also stimulate hormonal secretions therefore maintaining the correct metabolic rates and because of this hormonal increase it lessens the sensitivity of nerves that create pain. Very helpful in the case of headaches, sprains, muscle aches and maybe enough to stop you reaching for over the counter pain relief!

If used regularly in the bath or in soap form it can protect the skin and hair from infections, it has proven anti fungal properties as discovered by a 2007 study from the Catholic University of the sacred Heart (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17118937) and is well known for its success in treating Cystitis and Urethritis. If Bergamot is used in the early stages it can often prevent the infection from spreading. You can also dab it neat or diluted in a little alcohol with some Eucalyptus to stop a Cold sore.

As in the case of any essential oil, Bergamot should be used with caution and at all times kept out of sunlight. It contains an active agent that can turn poisonous on exposure to light. Bergamot should always be kept in a dark bottle. Sun exposure should be avoided too if applied to the skin.

If you think this essential oil can help you in any way, please feel free to contact us either book in for an Aromatherapy massage or ask us to make you a blend for use on skin, we can always combine it with other essential oils to enhance its impact on you. As some of you know we already use Bergamot in 3 of our diffuser blends, Scents of Wellbeing, Scents of Adventure and Scents of Calm. Pop in today or give us a call for more information.