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A sunny citrus-floral brightness that lifts a blend without turning sharp or sweet.
Bergamot (Citrus bergamia) is a small, knobbly citrus fruit, a natural cross between bitter orange and lemon. Almost all of the world's true bergamot grows along a narrow strip of coast in Calabria, at the very toe of Italy's boot, where the sea air and mild winters suit it like nowhere else. Its oil is often called the green gold of Calabria.
The fruit itself is too sour to eat. Its treasure is in the rind, which is cold-pressed to release a fragrant essential oil. The scent is bright and sunny but softer than lemon or orange: citrus at first, then floral, with a faint peppery, green edge. It is the flavor in Earl Grey tea, and for three centuries it has been a key note in classic eau de cologne.
In body care, bergamot is used for its scent. It is a top note, the first thing you notice when you open a bottle, and it brings lift and freshness to a blend without turning sharp or sweet. It pairs beautifully with lavender, which is why the two share our Argan-Jojoba Skin Food: the bergamot brightens, the lavender calms, and the blend works morning or night.
Bergamot also blends easily with woods such as cedarwood and sandalwood, with herbs such as rosemary and clary sage, and with soft florals like geranium. Like every essential oil in the Apothecary, it is used well diluted, and a little goes a long way.
Bergamot is the first light through the window. In the Apothecary, it represents lightness, good cheer, and the return of joy after a long grey season: the scent that reminds a heavy heart it is allowed to lift.
In our Skin Food it walks beside lavender, morning and evening, the bright note and the quiet one.
Bergamot essential oil can make skin more sensitive to sunlight. Cold-pressed bergamot contains bergapten, a natural compound that can cause redness, burning, or dark marks when treated skin meets strong sun or a tanning bed. Keep skin where a bergamot product has been applied out of strong sun for 12 hours, unless the product uses bergapten-free (FCF) bergamot, which is far gentler in the sun. It is always well diluted in our products; keep it away from your eyes, and patch test first if your skin is sensitive. If you are pregnant, nursing, or have a medical condition, check with your doctor before use.
Always patch test before first use. If you are pregnant, nursing, or have a medical condition, please talk with your doctor before using products made with this source. This information is not medical advice.
