Traditional Use
Bergamot Essential Oil has been show to inhibit herpes simplex I virus which causes cold sores. It has also been used to treat cystitis and UTIs. It can be used in the very early stages in a bath to prevent the infection from spreading. Bergamot is a known carminative useful in relieving colic & indigestion. The most well known use for Bergamot Essential Oil is for the nervous system. It is known to be sedative but also uplifting and is one that is used for its antidepressant activity.
Botany
Citrus bergamia is a small tree that blossoms during winter growing to 16ft. The leaves are dark-green ovate with fragrant star shaped flowers. The small fruit is picked while unripe and still green. The fruit is not edible because the pulp is too sour. Citrus bergamot is commercially grown in souther Calabria in southern Italy.
Traditional Folklore
The Bergamot tree is said to have been brought by Columbus from the Canary Islands to the city of Berga, in the Province of Barcelona. Bergamot was an important remedy in Italian folk medicine as an antiseptic and febrifuge. Bergamot was an ingredient in the first, eau de toilette, in the 16th century and was well known for its perfumery
