Bergamot

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Bergamot is a tree of the Rutaceae family, from which its fruit also takes its name. The scientific name is Citrus Bergamia. Some authors report that bergamot is a hybrid between orange and lemon.

The plant is native to tropical Asia, but its production area is mainly limited to the coastal area of ​​Reggio Calabria, to the point of becoming a symbol of the entire area and the city. Bergamot is a small tree just over 4 meters high, with a straight trunk with a round section, greyish bark and is well branched. The leaves never fall even in winter, they are smooth and shiny oval, like that of orange. The flowers, with a five-petal corolla, are white and very fragrant. The fruits of bergamot are rounded green, when they reach maturity they turn yellow, similar to small oranges and are composed of three distinct parts: the peel, which is rich in utricles, small cavities full of essential oil; under the peel there is a slightly yellow, rather compact white tissue; and finally the pulp divided into 10-15 wedges that contain the seeds. The juice has a slightly bitter sour taste.

Some derive its name from the Turkish beg armudi = “pear of the lord”, due to its similarity with the shape of the bergamot pear; others from the city of Bergamo where its oil was sold for the first time.

Widely used in aromatherapy and cosmetics is the pleasant scent obtained from the essential oil of bergamot, which is obtained by cold extraction of the peel.

Known for its calming and antiseptic properties, it is useful against stress and anxiety, as well as for its multiple benefits for the skin and hair.

In particular on the face, bergamot is used together with other calming and purifying active ingredients (for example lemon and lavender) as an adjuvant in the treatment of acne, blackheads and oily skin. It also has a purifying action on the hair: the bergamot extract has beneficial properties on oily hair.

It also plays a role at a phytotherapeutic level: there are many supplements that contain bergamot extract, as it seems to have positive effects on hyperlipidemia and on the control of blood sugar and inflammation.