This is our first citrus.  I hope you’ve got your Q-tips ready.  Are you ready for your citrus blast?  So start sniffing.  What do you think?  Do you like it?  Is it a cheerful smell?  A sweet smell?  Or perhaps it smells bitter and makes you feel crabby?  Don’t forget to leave it and come back and have another sniff.  And that third sniff, do you smell anything at all?

By the way, I thought I would tell you what the note is this week.  It should be fairly obvious by the 2nd sniff.  Bergamot is a Top note only.  A light and Breezy top note.

Safety information: photo toxic!  Be careful when using Bergamot in a massage oil; do not expose to sunlight or a sun lamp for up to 4 hours after use.  A lot of Aromtherapist’s choose to use Bergamot FCF- furocoumarin free, which removes the problem of Photo toxicity.  Some Aromatherapist's refuse to use any altered oil, on the ground that if it has been altered, that it is not a true Essential Oil.

I tend to agree.  I do not Use Bergamot FCF; on the other hand, I do not include Bergamot in massage or bath oils, unless I feel that Bergamot is the best choice and then it is CLEARLY marked with the safety information.

Main Chemical Components: Linalyl acetate, Limonene, Linalol

Main uses: depression, helps relieve insomnia, refreshes, anxiety, stress, uplifting, flatulence, colds, flue, cold sore, chicken pox, shingles, acne, oily skin, psoriasis, scabies, eczema, insect repellant, boils.   Main actions: analgesic, anti-infectious, antibacterial, anti-parasitic, antidepressant, antiseptic, antispasmodic, carminative, cicatrizant, diuretic, deodorant, expectorant, febrifuge, insecticide, stimulant, tonic, sedative

Okay, on to the drop guesstamation time.  Few things to keep in mind when guessing the amount of drops of an oil: is it a top note, middle note or base note?  Generally, top notes will use more drops in a formula than a middle note, and ALWAYS more than a base note oil.

So with that information in hand, what do you think?  Do you think that perhaps you might be using 6 drops per formula?  How about 8?  8 drops of essential oil per spoonful is an awful lot.  Well, truth to tell, the actually amount that one would use in the bath, in a tablespoon of diffusing or massage oil is in fact a whopping ten drops.

So how did you do?  Come close?  And why do you think it’s ten drops?  Can you formulate a theory as to why it’s so much, when Lavender is only 7?  Perhaps you think Lavender should be less?

If you are starting to argue with me (mentally of course) then I say GOOD FOR YOU!  It shows that you are learning and are starting to venture out into the huge world of aromatherapy.

Side subject for this week: How do you store your oils and how long do they last?  Do you place your oils on the window sill and leave them there for forever?  Perhaps you store them in the garage where the temperature hits 100 degrees during the summer.

Both of these examples are of course ridiculous and wrong.

Your oils should in optimal circumstances, be stored somewhere dark and cool.  Did I hear someone say "refrigerator?" Excellent choice.  Of course, once you start collecting more and more oil, sharing the fridge with your oils, carrier oils, creams and the family weekly food allotment, might be out of the question.  So try and find the next best thing. Somewhere that stays dark and as cool as possible.  But not freezing.

How long do your oils last?  Simple question.  The answer is not so simple.  Some of your oils will, fortunately for your wallet, last for practically forever.  Oils such as Rose, Sandalwood, Frankincense will last for a very long time.  Your citrus oils will last for up to two years, but only if extraordinary care is taken care of them.  On the whole however, one might notice a deterioration of their citrus oils starting at nine months.

Your other oils will last anywhere between one and three years if you take care not to leave the tops off and expose them though the air - if you keep them out of the oxidizing effects of the sun, and you take care never to touch the pipette, or top of the bottle etc.   Remember that your oils are fragile and need to be handled with care if you want them to last.

And there we have Bergamot and the side subject for this week.  I hope you are still following and enjoying the course, studying your vocabulary, sniffing your oils and have a great time!

Final exam question:   What is an Aromatherapist?  Easy Question?  We'll see.  Remember, I would like to see your answer at the END of the course.

Sources of Information: besides my own course notes, and things I’ve learned along the way, for this course I also use:
 

The Aromatherapy Practitioner Reference Manual By Sylla Sheppard-Hangar

Plant Aromatics A Data & Reference Manual on Essential Oils and Aromatic Plant Extracts By
Martin Watt

Advanced Aromatherapy by Kurt Schnaublet

The Aromatherapy Work Book by Shirley Price

Aromatherapy for Health Professionals by Shirley Price and Len Price.

© 2001 Kathleen E. Petrides, SmeLLeNNium
 

© 2001 Mother (page layout only)