Bergamot Mint.

It is hard to believe this is a mint. Instead of the cold rush of peppermint, bergamot mint opens soft and gently floral, like lavender with touches of citrus: a blithe spirit of an oil for days when you want brightness without a single citrus note.

It is steam-distilled in the USA from the sustainably farmed leaves of Mentha citrata. Like the lavenders, it is high in linalool and linalyl acetate, which makes it much safer on the skin than other mint oils, and perfumers use it mostly as a soft heart note. Unlike many middle notes, it is complex enough to wear alone as a perfume, or with a touch of vetiver to anchor it, though it will need frequent reapplying. In the aroma lamp it is not energizing like other mints but gently calming, and its lighthearted floral notes suit the bath and a relaxing massage blend. Some have even used it to freshen musty closets and cellars.

Details

• Botanical name: Mentha citrata
• Origin: USA; sustainably farmed
• Method: steam-distilled leaves
• Shelf life: about 1 to 2 years after opening
• Blends with: citrus oils, juniper, sandalwood, spearmint, vetiver

How to use

In proper dilutions it is neither irritating, sensitizing nor photosensitizing; keep skin use to a maximum of 5.7%. Wear it as a perfume, add it, diluted, to a bath or massage blend, or warm it in an aroma lamp. Store it dark and refrigerated, and decant a half-full bottle into a smaller, full one. A light heart, kept in a bottle.