Bergamot Aromatherapy Tips

Bergamot The Fruit We Don't Eat

This citrus fruit is about the size of an orange, looks more like a lemon while it is growing on the tree and when ripe is more the color of a lime. It isn't consumed like other fruits, either. Nope, we use the rind or the essential oils that come from the rinds to use in all sorts of other things that we will talk about in a minute. 

Where does bergamot grow? Well, it is native to southern Italy, tropical parts of Asia and the Ivory Coast. We can find it being grown in conducive climates all over the world now because it is so popular to use in aromatherapy applications. 

It is very rare that we humans decide to eat this great smelling fruit from the citrus family. I've never tried to taste one but it must not taste good if people would rather use the rinds for the oil and discard the rest of it. 

Bergamot has some medicinal and therapeutic applications and is also used in perfumes, cosmetics and as a flavoring agent for Earl Grey Tea. The tea is one of my all time favorites to drink because not only does it have this wonderful taste but it smells so good once it is brewed, too. It also has a way of calming me down if I'm anxious about something.

When used as an essential oil, this fragrant fruit acts as an antidote for depression and anxiety. It can help with urinary tract infections and nervous indigestion. Actually the oil helps with all kinds of infections as it has a strong antiseptic property to it.

It has been known for helping with eating disorders. You wouldn't think that if it helps with anorexia that it could also help with compulsive eating but it does. It is because the oil acts as an agent to create a balance rather than truly suppress the appetite or cause someone to be hungry. I would guess that is from the properties that help with lessening stress and anxiety which would then help with the eating disorder. When we feel calm we don't have a tendency to want to stop eating or over eat.

The oil from the Bergamot is so helpful in being a calming agent that it is often recommended that you place a few drops on a cloth and carry it with you during your day. Sniff it every so often and feel yourself relax. This is especially good when we are traveling and feeling stressed by the experience but it is also good for those jobs where the stress level is high.

I like to warm scented wax that includes the oils from the Bergamot rinds in our home on a regular basis. It not only smells divine but has a calming effect on my husband and me. It might be my imagination but I think the cat is even calmer when I have the fragrance in a room. One of our favorites is the item shown below.

My Dear Watson

It has a rather sophisticated and smart appeal with a mixture of Bergamot, mint, cedar and suede. My husband likes it because it doesn't smell too girly girl and actually that is one of the reasons that I like it, too. Besides the bergamot and mint combined have that calming effect that makes our days enjoyable.

If you haven't considered using this fragrance in your home or for medicinal and therapeutic purposes, you should. I think you will find it a most pleasing fragrance along with giving you the benefits that I mentioned above.

Using the Scent of Orange In Your Home

Different Ways To Use The Scent Of Oranges

As a scent this wonderful citrus fruit relieves stress. It lessens anxiety for us very much like the color of the fruit does. 

Orange is a power color even without the fragrance associated with it. The color radiates warmth and happiness. It is a combination of red which is is a stimulating color and yellow which is a cheerful color. 

The meaning of the scent of orange is associated with love, companionship and relationships. It brings harmony into our souls. It can stand alone as a pleasant aroma to have in our homes or it can be combined with other fragrances like cinnamon or cloves for an even more appealing aroma.

You can take orange peels and grind them up in your garbage disposal to get rid of those stale lingering food smells. You can also purchase all purpose cleaners that have the scent of orange for a clean smell to please your nostrils after cleaning.

Using an essential oil in a warmer is also an option for having the sweet scent of oranges in your home or office.

NOW Foods Orange Oil Sweet, 4 ounce

A DIY Project For The Scent Of Orange

Create a pretty and useful scent item to have in your kitchen using oranges. They are easy to create and make the room smell heavenly. That will relieve stress for you or anyone who enters the kitchen.

Place orange slices, cloves, cinnamon stick or allspice in a pan. Cover with water and heat in the pan until the water starts to boil. Remove from the stove and let it cool down. During the cool down period your kitchen begins to have the wonderful aroma of oranges, cloves and cinnamon. You can also placed the cooled ingredients in a mason jar to just sit on the counter. Yes, it is that easy!

You can place the lid on the mason jar and refrigerate the combination, too. Take it out when you are ready for that wonderful aroma again and re-heat. That works for a couple of times and then you will need to make a new recipe.