The most complex of the citrus oils. Not simply fresh — there is something soft, almost floral in it. It is what makes Earl Grey tea what it is.
Where it comes from
Plant part used: peel. Extraction method: cold pressing. Typical origin: Italy.
Cold pressing works without heat: the peel is squeezed mechanically. That is why the aroma stays so true to the fruit, and also why oils made this way contain compounds that make skin sensitive to sunlight.
What it smells like
Aroma notes: citrus, but softer and more floral than the rest.
If you are meeting it for the first time, do not sniff straight into the bottle. Hold it a few centimetres from your nose and waft the aroma towards you — that way the stronger oils will not hit you, and you will pick up the finer notes too.
How people use it
- In the diffuser in the afternoon, when a brighter aroma helps.
- Diluted over the heart, for quiet minutes.
- Blended with lavender for evening diffusing.
- One drop in hand cream.
Recipes
The ratios are worked out, and one drop is roughly five hundredths of a millilitre. Where a companion oil is listed, feel free to swap it for whatever you have at home — the drop counts stay the same.
Evening pillow mist
What you get: 60 ml of mist, about two weeks’ worth.
- Into a 60 ml spray bottle, put 1 teaspoon of plain alcohol or witch hazel.
- Add 8 drops of Bergamot and 4 drops of Melissa (Lemon Balm), and swirl to combine.
- Top up with distilled water, then close it and shake.
- After making the bed, mist the pillowcase and the edge of the duvet from about twenty centimetres away.
Always shake before use: essential oil and water separate on their own. In dark glass, kept cool, it stays fresh for two weeks.
Bedtime foot oil
What you get: 10 ml, about two weeks’ worth.
- Fill a 10 ml bottle with fractionated coconut oil, roughly up to the shoulder.
- Add 4 drops of Bergamot — that is a two per cent blend.
- Close it and turn it over a few times.
- Before bed, massage some into the soles of your feet and pull on socks.
The skin on the soles is thick, which makes it one of the gentlest places to apply oil. For a child, half the drops is plenty.
Palm blend for a deep breath
What you get: 5 ml, lasts a long time.
- Put fractionated coconut oil into a 5 ml bottle.
- Add 2 drops of Bergamot and 1 drop of Melissa (Lemon Balm).
- Put a little in your palm and rub it in.
- Hold it in front of your face and take three slow, deep breaths with your eyes closed.
This is the quickest way for an aroma to actually reach you — diffusing is slow by comparison.
What to pair it with
These suit the same situations, so they sit well together in a blend:
- Melissa (Lemon Balm) — shared topic: Inner calm
- Adaptiv — shared topic: Inner calm
- Cedarwood — shared topic: Inner calm
Safety and storage
Strongly phototoxic: if applied to skin, avoid sunlight for 12 hours.
In dark glass, somewhere cool, tightly closed. Heat, light and air all age it: citrus oils keep for roughly one to two years, woods and resins for years. It does not need to go in the fridge, but the bathroom windowsill is the worst place for it.
Questions
How much should I use?
For adults, daily whole-body use usually works out at around two per cent: that is roughly twelve drops in thirty millilitres of carrier oil. For sensitive skin and for children, considerably less. The dilution helper on the home page works out the number of drops for your bottle.
What should I dilute it with?
Fractionated coconut oil is the easiest, because it stays liquid, has no scent of its own and does not go rancid. Sweet almond, jojoba and grapeseed oil are good choices too. Essential oil does not mix with water, so for a bath always disperse it in something fatty or in salt first.
What should I watch out for with this oil?
Strongly phototoxic: if applied to skin, avoid sunlight for 12 hours.
How long does it keep?
In dark glass, somewhere cool, tightly closed. Heat, light and air all age it: citrus oils keep for roughly one to two years, woods and resins for years. It does not need to go in the fridge, but the bathroom windowsill is the worst place for it.
