Bergamot peel oil gives our lavender bathroom cleaner a citrus note with a floral edge. It also has a sunlight story, told first.
Contains added scent. Prefer none? Our Fragrance-Free All-Purpose Refill and Spray Kit have no fragrance or essential oils. No fragrance-free bathroom cleaner yet.
Quick facts
- What it is: Bergamot peel oil (Citrus aurantium bergamia fruit oil), labeled Bergamot Oil
- Its job: Fragrance only
- Where it comes from: Peel oil, sold cold-pressed or distilled (Scientific Committee on Consumer Products, 2005)
- EPA Safer Choice: Not on its ingredients list
- EWG grade: C for the raw oil, not our cleaner; reasons on EWG's page (Environmental Working Group, n.d.)
- CAS number: 8007-75-8
Bergamot and sunlight
Cold-pressed bergamot oil contains bergapten, a furocoumarin that can cause sunburn-like skin reactions in sunlight. Furocoumarin-free (FCF) grades have it removed (Tisserand & Young, 2014), and peel oils described as furocoumarin-free tended not to cause sun reactions (Cosmetic Ingredient Review, 2014).
EU advisers flag over 1 ppm furocoumarins in a finished cosmetic, and an analysis they reviewed, bergamot included, found cold-pressed citrus oils generally need distilling to get below that (Scientific Committee on Consumer Products, 2005). We have not yet confirmed whether ours is an FCF grade, so rinse cleaner off skin before sun exposure. Same question for lemon oil.
Allergens to know
Its main compounds are limonene, linalool and linalyl acetate (Tisserand & Young, 2014). The first two mainly sensitize once oxidized: of 821 consecutive dermatitis patients at a Dutch clinic, a referred group, 9.4% and 11.7% reacted (Dittmar & Schuttelaar, 2019).
EU cosmetics labels must name both above 0.001% (leave-on) or 0.01% (rinse-off), and since 2023 linalyl acetate and bergamot oil too (European Parliament & Council of the European Union, 2009; European Commission, 2023). Look for all four.
Safer Choice judges fragrances under separate criteria (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d.-a, n.d.-b). See how we vet ingredients.
Handling and safety
- Undiluted essential oils can irritate skin and eyes. Each tablet holds a little, diluted in water.
- Store unused tablets packaged and out of reach. They can look like candy.
- The ASPCA lists the bergamot orange, not our cleaner, as toxic to dogs, cats and horses (ASPCA, n.d.-b). Keep pets away until surfaces dry. Never apply cleaner to an animal.
- We have not measured dried residue, so rinse the tub before little ones use it.
If something goes wrong
- Eyes or skin: rinse well with water. Call your doctor if irritation continues.
- Swallowed: call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 (America's Poison Centers, n.d.).
- Pet ate a tablet or cleaner: call your vet or ASPCA Animal Poison Control, (888) 426-4435, fee may apply (ASPCA, n.d.-a).
Where you will find it
Our Lavender blend (lavender, lavandin, rosemary, frankincense, bergamot, cedarwood and ylang ylang oils), for bathrooms.
See all our ingredients →
Sources
- America's Poison Centers. (n.d.). [Homepage]. https://poisoncenters.org/
- ASPCA. (n.d.-a). ASPCA Poison Control. https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control
- ASPCA. (n.d.-b). Bergamot orange. https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/aspca-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/bergamot-orange
- Cosmetic Ingredient Review. (2014). Safety assessment of citrus-derived peel oils as used in cosmetics (Final report). https://www.cir-safety.org/sites/default/files/cpeelo092014FR.pdf
- Dittmar, D., & Schuttelaar, M. L. A. (2019). Contact sensitization to hydroperoxides of limonene and linalool: Results of consecutive patch testing and clinical relevance. Contact Dermatitis, 80(2), 101-109. https://doi.org/10.1111/cod.13137
- Environmental Working Group. (n.d.). Citrus aurantium bergamia (bergamot) fruit oil. https://www.ewg.org/cleaners/substances/153900-CITRUSAURANTIUMBERGAMIABERGAMOTFRUITOIL/
- European Commission. (2023). Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 as regards labelling of fragrance allergens in cosmetic products. Official Journal of the European Union. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/1545/oj
- European Parliament & Council of the European Union. (2009). Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products. Official Journal of the European Union. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2009/1223/oj
- Scientific Committee on Consumer Products. (2005). Opinion on furocoumarins in cosmetic products (SCCP/0942/05). European Commission. https://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_risk/committees/04_sccp/docs/sccp_o_036.pdf
- Tisserand, R., & Young, R. (2014). Essential oil safety: A guide for health care professionals (2nd ed.). Churchill Livingstone.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.-a). Safer Chemical Ingredients List. https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/safer-ingredients
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.-b). Safer Choice criteria for fragrances. https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/safer-choice-criteria-fragrances
