Guide to Essential Oils: Bergamot

Essential oils are something you’ll come across often when using natural or organic skin care and beauty, and the benefits of these ingredients can be countless. I personally love essential oils, and thought I’d put together a little guide over the next few months that takes a look at these in more detail. Having a basic understanding of essential oils means you can customise your own beauty routines and use what you know works best for you, whether that’s adding your own blend of oils to a bath for a luxurious pamper night, or adding a few drops to a tissue to help your confidence and focus during an exam or job interview. 

Essential oils can be absorbed into your body in a variety of ways, but the most common are via your skin barrier and when inhaled. Essential oils are distilled from various parts of plants, and are extremely potent. Pharmaceutical companies are able to synthesise the scent of essential oils, such as lavender and tea tree, but they are unable to fully replicate the molecular structure of the oil. If we want to reap the benefits of an essential oil, then the best option is to use the pure and natural form, not a product that just smells like it.

The complexity of essential oils goes beyond their structure. When we inhale something, we register the molecules in our olfactory bulbs, an ancient brain structure that carries signals to our hippocampus (our memory centre), our amygdala (where we process emotions) and our prefrontal cortex (where learning and higher brain processes occur). Unlike our other senses such as touch and sight, scent molecules directly enter our neural pathways and lock onto molecule receptors, causing the release of neurotransmitters which ultimately affect how we think and feel. It really is a magical process, and just highlights why so many people reap the benefits of essential oils. 

So, I thought I'd start my series with an overview of Bergamot Essential Oil. It's a fantastic oil to use at this time of the year, as it is uplifting, helps beat colds and flu and is a wonderful skin brightener. I focus on it's uses in beauty and general well-being, although the beneficial properties of this oil go far beyond that. 

Bergamot

Source: Here

Bergamot is the citrus fruit that flavours Earl Grey tea, and originates in Asia. Bergamot essential oil is extracted from the rind of the fruit, and is a cleansing and relaxing oil, helping to calm the nervous system and reduce tension. It is a potent antibacterial and anti-inflammatory oil, helping to rid the body of toxins, free radicals and other harmful bacteria. It’s a healing oil, and on a spiritual level opens up your heart and naval chakras. It has a myriad of beauty benefits too!

It’s particularly powerful at cleansing your body and easing digestion, meaning less bloating and a happier tummy. It does this by triggering an increase in digestive acids, enzymes and bile secretions, reducing the strain on your body and making bowel movements easier. Add a few drops into a warm bath or blend it into a carrier oil for a body massage. Using Bergamot Oil in a bath is also a really effective way to help treat urinary infections or cystitis, as it is extremely anti bacterial. 

The antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties of Bergamot make it a really effective skin treatment for reducing acne and breakouts. Bergamot Oil is also a citrisant, making it excellent at removing acne scars and blemishes, as well as evening out skin tone by rebalancing pigmentation in the skin. Add it to a base cream and apply to your face or anywhere you'd like to improve the appearance of the skin. You could also add it to a carrier oil and apply the blend to your face as an oil treatment. Bergamot Oil is photo toxic however, so only use this treatment at night to reduce any damage to your skin. 

Bergamot Essential Oil makes a powerful deodorant, killing odor causing bacteria and leaving you smelling as fresh as a daisy. Just pop a few drops into a carrier oil and spray onto your underarms.

Mixing Bergamot Oil with a carrier and burning in an oil burner is an effective way to release the calming and uplifting benefits of this oil. It’s restorative and fresh scent make Bergamot a great option for treating Seasonal Effective Disorder (SAD) or just as a little something to perk you up when you’re feeling a little lack lustre or under the weather. You can also place a few drops on a tissue to keep in your pocket for whenever you need a little pick me up.

These are just a few of the many, many uses of Bergamot Essential Oil. It’s a wonderful oil to use at this time of the year, as it’s like a little spritz of sunshine to lift our spirits when the skies are grey and rainy. It’s a wonderful beauty oil too, helping to make our skin glowing and even, reducing breakouts and calming inflammation. Have you used Bergamot Oil before? I’d love to know if you have and how you found it. 

*Precautions*

Bergamot Oil is photo toxic, meaning it turns toxic in sunlight. Store it in a dark cupboard and if you do use it on your skin, make sure it’s as a night treatment, otherwise it could potentially burn your skin when exposed to the sun.