Bergamot is an aromatic plant that is usually thought of as a tea with a spicy, citrusy flavour is reminiscent of Earl Grey tea. It is also known as Oswego Tea. Bergamot yields an essential oil prized for relaxant effects as well as its pleasant perfume.
Bergamot is a small tree with a typical citrus fruit, greenish-yellow in colour. Oil is extracted from the fresh rind of the fruit just before ripening. Chemically bergamot oil is a highly complex mixture of many classes of organic substances. The volatile fraction includes terpenes, esters, alcohols and aldehydes while the non-volatile fraction includes coumarins and furanocoumarins.
Traditionally, Bergamot was used to cool the skin. The essential oil is used in a diffuser when tension levels are high. The oil is also used directly on the skin, particularly by people with oily skin for unclogging pores.
