Bergamot
Bitter citrus peel lifted by a floral-aromatic transparency — the scent of Earl Grey before the cup cools. Drier than lemon, less sweet than mandarin, with a tea-like clarity that no other citrus delivers.
Scent
Terroir & Expressions
The Full Story
Did You Know?
In 1708, Giovanni Maria Farina wrote to his brother from Cologne: "I have found a scent that reminds me of an Italian spring morning, of mountain narcissus and orange blossoms after the rain." The fragrance he described — built on bergamot oil shipped from Calabria — became the original Eau de Cologne and launched an entire perfumery category.
Extraction & Chemistry
Extraction method
Cold expression (sfumatura) of the unripe fruit rind — a mechanical process that ruptures oil cells in the flavedo without heat. Yield: 0.35–0.75% of fruit weight, or 350–750 g of oil per 100 kg of fruit. The crude oil contains bergapten (5-methoxypsoralen) and bergamottin at phototoxic concentrations. Bergaptene-free (FCF) oil is produced by vacuum distillation, stripping furanocoumarins while preserving the olfactory profile. Chiral analysis of (−)-linalool and (−)-linalyl acetate enantiomers is the standard authentication method — synthetic linalool is racemic, Calabrian bergamot oil is not. Harvest timing affects composition: as fruit matures, linalyl acetate increases while free linalool decreases.
- Formula
- C₁₀H₁₆ (limonene, 32–47%) · C₁₂H₂₀O₂ (linalyl acetate, 22–36%) · C₁₀H₁₈O (linalool, 3–15%)
- CAS
- 8007-75-8
- Botanical
- Citrus bergamia
- Appearance
- green to yellow clear, mobile liquid
- Odour strength
- Medium
- Lasting power
- Low — fugitive top note, 2-4 hours on skin
- Synonyms
- BERGAMOTE BERGAMOT OIL CALABRIA BERGAMOT FCF PETIT GRAIN BERGAMOT
- Price range
- 150-350 EUR/kg (expressed oil, Calabrian origin)
Restricted: 0.4% max in leave-on products (phototoxicity). Bergapten limit: 15 ppm in sun-exposed skin products. FCF (bergaptene-free) version: the 0.4% oil limit no longer applies once bergapten content is measured, but total bergapten stays capped at 15 ppm.
- Specific gravity
- 0.876 to 0.884 at 25 °C
- Refractive index
- 1.464 to 1.466 at 20 °C
In Perfumery
Bergamot is the universal top note, the opening gambit of European perfumery. It provides lift: the initial brightness that draws attention before the heart and base assert themselves. Structurally, it appears across nearly every fragrance family. Bergamot is an important ingredient in the classic Eau de Cologne formula. In fougères (lavender + coumarin + oakmoss), it sharpens the lavender opening and adds citrus counterweight. In chypres (bergamot + labdanum + patchouli + oakmoss), it is load-bearing: without it, the mossy-animalic base has no point of entry. In ambers, it provides the contrast that prevents amber and vanilla from collapsing into opacity. Bergamot FCF (bergaptene-free) is the industry standard for skin-safe formulation. The vacuum distillation that removes phototoxic furanocoumarins does not meaningfully alter the scent profile.