• 10 drops bergaptene-free or furanocoumarin-free (FCF) bergamot oil*
• 5 drops geranium oil
• 2 drops lemongrass oil
• 2 drops peppermint oil
*Citrus oils contain photosensitizing coumarins that can promote sunburn and uneven skin pigmentation. In bergamot oil–which comes from a kind of orange, not the herb bee balm (Monarda didyma)–the principal coumarin is bergaptene. If you can’t find bergaptene-free (also labeled as FCF) bergamot oil, avoid sun exposure when using this spritzer.
Mindy Green is an herbalist, aromatherapist, consultant to the natural products industry, and director of education at the Herb Research Foundation. This article is adapted in part from her book Natural Perfumes, published this year by Interweave Press.
Click here for the original article, Body and Soul: Spritzers.
