Bergamot is another one of the extremely versatile essential oils we’ve been talking about off and on. Bergamot has a spicy floral/fruity fragrance. It has been in use for centuries and can serve many purposes around the home. In Love tradition, here are 5:

1. Skin Care – Bergamot is a natural antiseptic and antifungal, making it useful for people with acne, athete’s foot, eczema and fungal skin infections. A good recipe is one part bergamot to 5 parts aloe vera gel. If this solution is at all irritating, add more aloe vera. You could also try a couple of drops in your homeade sugar scrub
2. For muscles – Try adding bergamot to lotions and massage oil to relieve the inflammation of tense muscles. Add the drops one or two at a time and test the solution to make sure it isn’t irritating to your skin.
3. Aromatherapy – Bergamot is very uplifting and useful in relieving stress, depression and anxiety. It is even useful in increasing appetite. A few drops can be added to a diffuser, or you can get a candle or incense with bergamot in them.
4. Perfume – The fragrance of bergamot mixes well with other fragrances including, lavender, mint, veviter, sandalwood and frankincense, making it ideal for perfumes.
5. In the bath – this is my favorite, by adding bergamot to a bath oil, you can enjoy ALL the benefits of it. Smell lovely, ease tension and help your skin all at the same time doing it this way.

Cautions

There are a couple of cautions to keep in mind while using this essential oil. First, as mentioned above, is to not use too much of it, because it can irritate the skin. Always make sure it is dilluted. Also, those who are pregnant or nursing should not use it. Don’t use bergamot internally without the consent of a doctor.

Bergamot is essential to any well stocked aromatherapy cupboard. Between it’s beautiful fragrance and therapeutic properties it is any “aromatherapist’s” dream. Bergamot can be purchased through just about any quality aromatherapy shop. Add it to your arsenal, I sure did