Bergamot Blunder

Posted onCategoriesAromatherapy healing, Certified Aromatherapist in Los Angeles, Dangers of essential oils, Essential oils, NAHA Aromatherapist, Tarot Reading

Believe it or not, the first time the thought of creating an Aromatherapy related you tube channel came to me was while reading a random internet blog where the author had confidently given out a facial care essential oil recipe with so many drops of Bergamot in it, that it had me shaking my head in disbelief! Yup. You’re right. That’s it. Bergamot it was!:}

The only thing I would not like to take away from the blogger, is the high probability that she would have written the blog with good intention (I would like to think so about most people!), because the “Bergamot blunder” was a dead give away to her being, sadly, yet another of those many self proclaimed internet Essential Oil Experts, widely surfacing, without any credible formal Aromatherapy education to back them. I didn’t have much real clue too about essential oils, once upon a time, but at that time, I never ever would have blogged to give out blend & recipe ratios either on my own, or copied from other sources.  

In fact, if there is one topic which seems to have caught the fancy of a lot of ambitious blogging & vlogging, other than doing reviews & DIYs of generic stuff, it is handing out all sorts of essential oil related DIY advise. And I didn’t even have to wait to become a professional certified Aromatherapist to realize how dissimilar were the two categories. How to apply your eyeshadow; & which is the longest lasting matte lipstick on the market is not exactly the same as how & which essential oils to use. The consequences of inexperienced experimenting with the latter might lead to much more than just a fashion disaster! And, you definitely need a solid foundation of knowledge before being able to guide others on details of essential oils. I say this with even more awareness, because even as I was making my way through my formal Aromatherapy studies, & related research work, my eyes starting automatically opening to the realization of just how much of the information written & shared on the internet about essential oils was too factually inadequate, inaccurate; too marketing driven to be entirely trustable; or too generic to be specifically useful.

This brings me back to that Bergamot; Citrus bergamia. It is THE most phototoxic essential oil out there. This is due to the presence of a significant amount of UV absorbing naturally occurring chemical components called furanocoumarins in it. Nothing; not even another citrus beats it in the photo toxicity contest! In fact, this is such a major Aromatherapy fact that there would barely be a professional aromatherapist who would stake his or her reputation giving someone a 30 ml blend for their face with more than 2 drops of Bergamot in it; if any! Anything more than that, per 30 ml or per oz of a blend is a recipe for disaster, when applied to any area of the body which has high likelihood of being directly exposed to the sun, in the next few hours. And, few would debate that the face is definitely the most easily & directly sun exposed area of our bodies. When a blend contains any phototoxic essential oil in a dilution ratio greater than is the recognized safe limit, the blend essentially becomes a phototoxic blend. When one topically applies such a blend on a body part, it is imperative to be aware not to expose that body part to direct sunlight or to a tanning bed, ideally 18-20 hours post application. Not doing so, puts the person in real risk of a photo toxic reaction which can be experienced as anything from mild to serious blistering, burning, discoloration, or pigmentation; some of which can well be permanent. In fact, one is always advised that unless one is not confident in the applicational knowledge of an essential oil as photo toxic as Bergamot, or is not sure that they or their client can absolutely adhere to the safety regulation surrounding it, it’s better to replace it with an equally beneficial non photo toxic oil (OR with a FCF, ‘furanocoumarin free’ Bergamot).

Not only did the recipe in question lightly suggest way too many Bergamot drops (than might be necessary even if it were not phototoxic) it also made absolutely no mention of anything related to avoiding exposure to direct sunlight, post application. I shudder to think of how many people possibly might have come across that blog (considering it seemed high up on the Google search); copied that recipe; gone ahead & applied it to their faces; & gone about their work day as usual, with no knowledge of sitting on a photo toxic bomb!

Since that time, I have come across a huge no. of you tube videos with people, usually women, sharing their stories of how they got chemical burns using Bergamot, & other essential oils. Also, while many of them, & those commenting on them, do thankfully seem to be aware of about purchasing ‘good quality essential oils’ (authentic, as we would call them), & of the need to dilute them, knowledge about crucial safety guidelines, & correct & safe usage isn’t all that common! One person apparently got a burning red face because they used Peppermint essential oil all over it; while another ended up with the result of using undiluted Oregano oil over their acne! I am amazed at the no. of people who seem to treat essential oils like regular cosmetics! Both these oils have to be used with caution topically, due to their chemistry. Peppermint; Metha x piperita can cause skin & mucous membrane irritation & redness when used in excessive quantities topically; it’s always best avoided also in the bath. A 1% dilution i.e 5- 6 drops or even lesser, well diluted in per oz of a suitable carrier oil, & ideally mixed with other more skin soothing essential oils, is generally considered safe.

*There have been occasional reports of oral mucous membrane sensitivity to peppermint oil and menthol either on contact (Morton et al 1995) or after excessive prolonged use (Rogers & Pahor 1995; Fleming & Forsyth 1998). In each case, a burning sensation, ulceration and inflammation were the result.

 Peppermint oil is a low-risk skin allergen..

(* Chapter 13; Pages, 388, 389; 2nd Edition; Essential Oil Safety- Robert Tisserand & Rodney Young)

Oregano, Origanum, especially the Carvacrol, & Thymol rich varieties carry a risk of dermal irritation especially for skin that might be already hypersensitive, diseased or damaged!

Most essential oils can appear safe (& indeed usually are when used wisely); but it can take just one little experiment gone wrong or one careless usage to make one understand the hard way, how potent & toxic these otherwise beautiful natural gifts can be. I still remember one of our teachers during Aromatherapy certifications studies (someone who has over 2 decades of solid formal & hands on experience with essential oils) was still personally inclined to substitute Bergamot with other essential oils of similar therapeutic quantities, because of the phototoxic reactions around the mouth she had unfortunately suffered with it, years back.

The purpose of this blog is not at all Bergamot bashing, but just trying to drive home the many ills of casual approach to essential oils, using the example of Bergamot. Doing your research well, & from credible sources is something which will only enhance & optimize one’s engagement with essential oils. Such as, in case of Bergamot, this might guide you to use more skin friendly oils for topical purposes whenever possible, & to reserve your bottle of Citrus bergamia for better & safer uses, such as in diffusers or cleaning sprays… because it indeed is a very lovely smelling, vibrant, mood uplifting, deodorizing, & immune supporting essential oil! 🙂