In this article, you will learn about bergamot essential oil, what properties it has, how to use it in the field of cosmetology and where to buy it. The aroma of bergamot is more familiar to tea and spice lovers. But the essential oil from this plant is used not only in cooking, but also in medicine and cosmetology. Now this natural raw material can be purchased both in pharmacies and through online stores.
Features of bergamot essential oil
Bergamot is obtained by crossing citron and orange. His homeland is Southeast Asia. But in Europe, it was first cultivated in the Italian town of Bergamo. It was in honor of this city that the fruit was named "bergamot". By the way, some historians claim that the name came from the Turkish word "beyarmudu", which means "princely pear", or "beg armudy", that is - "master's pear". The fruit is pear-shaped and is marked with a light yellow color.
Most often, bergamot is grown in order to obtain essential oil by cold pressing during the period of fruit ripening. Fruit rind, flowers and leaves are used. From the peel of bergamot, 1-3% of essential oil is obtained, which has a pleasant smell and bitter taste.
The essential raw material of bergamot in its natural form is a green oily liquid with a specific aroma. If we are talking about refined raw materials, then it is colorless. You can buy this product at a pharmacy or through an online store. On sale there is oil in the amount of 10 ml of the following manufacturers:
- "Aromatika" - 370 rubles.
- Medikomed - 77 rubles.
- "Mirroll" - 99 rubles.
- Elfarma - 102 rubles.
- Aspera - 107 rubles.
- Aroma Zone - 395 rubles.
The chemical composition of the essential oil (EO) of bergamot has not been fully disclosed. Some data point to the figure 175, others - 300, there is also an opinion that up to 500 active substances are concentrated in bergamot. But one way or another, everyone distinguishes three main components:
- Linalyl acetate (up to 50%), used as a note in perfumes, fragrances for soap and a component in other cosmetic products.
- Terpene hydrocarbon limonenewith antibacterial and antiviral properties.
- Linalool. 80% of modern fragrances and fragrances contain just this component, which has the smell of lily of the valley.
The oil also contains citral, camphene, terpineol,? -Pinene, bergapten,? -Caryophyllene, D -? - terpineol, etc. EO has a calming, antiseptic, antifungal, antipyretic, antispasmodic, antidepressant and anti-inflammatory effect on the body.
Scope of bergamot oil
An essential blend of bergamot is used for a variety of purposes. Many owners of the fair sex use a natural product for skin or hair care, this raw material shows itself well in the treatment of boils, psoriasis and dermatomycosis. Bergamot EO is also prescribed for oral infections and diseases of the upper respiratory tract, used both in medicine and in cooking (in tea, as a flavoring agent in compotes, wines, jams, vegetable and fruit salads).
Do not use pure bergamot oil for pregnant women, children under 12 years of age and those with epilepsy.
Using oil for skin care
The essential product of bergamot is widely used by women and girls whose skin is far from perfect, because this natural remedy helps to cope with various defects of the stratum corneum, including:
- Skin pigmentation and freckles.
- Excessive sweating and oily sheen.
- Skin irritation and inflammation.
- Enlarged pores.
- Pimples, blackheads and a purulent rash.
- Eczema, herpes, psoriasis and scabies.
- Violation of the oxygen balance of the skin.
Pay attention to the fact that Bergamot EO should not be applied to the skin of the face or body just before going outside, otherwise you will get pigmentation that will not be so easy to remove in a short time. It is better to use this product for skin care in the evening or in the morning, but do not forget about sunscreen after application.
If you are looking to add bergamot to a store bought face or body cream, think twice if it is worth it. Surely you do not know how the ingredients of the emulsion, added by the manufacturers of the cosmetic product, will behave in contact with the essential oil. In most cases, nothing bad will happen, but allergic reactions are possible, especially if you do not adhere to the correct dosage. For 30-50 ml of cosmetic cream, 2-3 drops of bergamot essential oil are put. If you are doing creamery, add the oil at the end of the preparation of the cosmetic product. Healing ointment with a volume of 30–35 ml contains 3–7 drops of bergamot.
To dry and eliminate acne, treat skin defects of bergamot EO pointwise and in its pure form.
For sensitive skin, you can prepare a gel mask. To do this, prepare the following components:
- German chamomile hydrolate - 40%.
- Distilled water - 55.9%.
- Xanthan gum - 2%
- German chamomile extract - 0.2%.
- Allantoin - 1%.
- EO bergamot - 0.3%.
- Cosgard preservative - 0.6%.
Mix hydrolat, water and xanthan gum in one container using a cappuccino maker, let the mixture take on the consistency of a gel. After 10 minutes, stir the ingredients again to obtain a smoother and more uniform emulsion, add the rest of the mask components, stirring the product after each addition. The pH of the finished mask should be 6-6.5.
For combination skin, a night cream is suitable, the formulation of which is as follows:
- Hazelnut oil - 18.8%.
- Borage (borage) oil - 5%.
- Emulsifier sugar ether - 20%.
- Witch hazel hydrolate - 53, 3%.
- Xanthan gum (clear grade) - 0.5%.
- EO clementine - 1, 2%.
- EO bergamot - 0.4%.
- Vitamin E - 0.2%.
- Cosgard preservative - 0.6%.
Place the borage and hazelnut vegetable raw materials in one container, an emulsifier, beat well, in the other - hydrolate and xanthan gum, also mix. Slowly pour the second phase into the first, mixing all the components of the future cream. Add EO, vitamin E and preservative. The pH of the prepared night cream should be 6, 5–7.
Some women make a pore-tightening mask with one well-beaten protein and five drops of Bergamot EO. The mask should be kept on the face for about 5-10 minutes, after which a nourishing cream is applied.
Applying bergamot oil to nails and hand skin
Women regularly use creams to care for their hands. These products can contain a wide variety of ingredients, including bergamot oil, which smells great and has anti-inflammatory properties. This component is also used for thin and weak nails.
Try making a nail bath with sea salt and a few drops of bergamot fruit essential oil. The procedure takes approximately 15–20 minutes.
- To nourish nails and skin of hands a mask made from any base oil and a few drops of bergamot oil will do. Add lemon essential oil if you want to slightly whiten the nail plate.
- For brittle nails use peach, apricot or almond seed oil, jojoba, rosehip or cocoa oil as a base.
- For nail growth olive oil, avocado oil, or watermelon seed oil works well.
- To strengthen the nail plates use sesame, burdock or pine nut oil.
- For effective nail polish Manicurists sometimes make hand masks for their clients using drops of lavender, ylang-ylang, bergamot essential oil and base oil.
Bergamot oil for hair care
Many natural oils are used to care not only for the skin of the face, body and hands, but also for hair. As for the essential oil of bergamot, it can help in the fight against the normalization of the sebaceous glands of the head, as well as hair growth.
- To add shine and delicate scent to the strands, drip 1-2 drops of EO onto the comb. Comb your hair to distribute the healing substances evenly. This product is most often used for oily hair.
- To strengthen hair, mix 15 ml of castor or burdock oil with two drops of bergamot raw material. Apply to hair, put on a hat wrapped in a towel, and after an hour wash off with regular shampoo.
- Mix 10 ml almond oil, 3 drops each of lemon and bergamot essential oils, one drop of cedarwood oil. This mixture should be rubbed into the scalp, then put on a plastic bag or cap. After half an hour, wash off the applied mask well with shampoo.
- Colorless henna has a beneficial effect on hair, add a few drops of essential bergamot to it and you have a mixture that eliminates dandruff and prevents hair loss. A mixture of 15 ml of jojoba oil with a few drops of sandalwood and bergamot oil has the same effect.
- Add 1-2 drops of essential oil to a regular shampoo or hair balm to get a product that has a beneficial effect not only on the skin and hair, but also on the blood vessels of the head.
Aromatherapy Applications
If you want to get rid of depression, try to think positively, while using the properties of EO bergamot to eliminate anxiety, melancholy and unpleasant emotions. This natural raw material smells so good that it can liberate and charge with an optimistic mood with its sweet citrus aroma.
The bergamot product is widely used as top notes in a third of all men's and half of women's perfumes, masks, body gels, and aroma baths. The aroma of bergamot heals the skin and helps to relieve emotional stress and fatigue.
If you decide to take an evening bath to combat insomnia, do not drip EO directly into the water, use sea salt, honey or milk as an emulsifier. The aroma of bergamot combines perfectly with the scents of rosewood, patchouli and geranium oils, and the healing properties are enhanced with the use of sage and eucalyptus oils.
Bergamot oil for cellulite
The essential product of bergamot is able to fight obesity, of course, one cannot do without diet and exercise. The oil prevents the formation of fats, stimulates the processes of natural skin cleansing and activates metabolism, which should delight people suffering from cellulite.
As you know, massage is an effective way to eliminate the "orange peel". To improve the results of the therapy done, it is recommended to use a mixture of 10 g of the base and 7 drops of bergamot essential oil. This tool will minimize the stagnation of lymph, after which the fats will break down faster, the skin will recover, the vessels will strengthen, and toxins will be removed. Also, after a massage with essential oil, you will notice an improvement in the tone of the skin.
For cellulite, you can use a homemade cosmetic product. To do this, dilute 5 drops of lemon and bergamot essential oils, 3 drops of neroli and one drop of rosemary oil in 50 ml of almond seed oil.
Video tutorial on how to make bergamot oil at home:
