Terpeneless Bergamot Oil

#### Bergamot Oil, terpeneless. From among the number of various methods of deterpenation (see Part One under **Terpeneless Oils**), vacuum distillation seems to have become the most popular in the case of bergamot oil. Certain users of high-grade terpeneless bergamot oil will perform their own deterpenation, e.g. by selective solvent extraction or by the chromatographic methods. These methods result in practically colorless oils with a negligible loss of low- boiling and important oxygenated components. Occasionally, only the coarse-smelling light monoterpenes and the waxy residues are removed by simple vacuum-distillation. This yields an oil which is well suited for perfumery purposes: it will have improved solubility and intensified, rich body notes. The freshness is greatly impaired by this deterpenation. As far as concentration is concerned, the terpeneless oil is only a little "stronger" in odor effect compared to the natural oil. The terpenes hardly amount to one-third of the original oil. The conventional term "bergamot oil, terpeneless, three-fold" is not only exaggerated, but it is a fact that a true terpeneless bergamot oil barely yields twice the strength of a natural oil. The advantage of the terpeneless oil lies in an odor improvement and a better solubility, partly also in better keeping qualities. Furthermore, it is in the high-boiling constituents of the bergamot oil that we find the most interesting and important odor principles, e.g. the oily, slightly grassy dihydrocuminylalcohol (see **Perilla Oil**), etc. **Terpeneless Bergamot Oil **finds use in perfumery among the high-class perfumes, better florals, etc. It blends well in "muguet", chypre, gardenia. lavender, violet and numerous other sweet florals or fantasy bases. It finds occasionally use in pear flavors and various candy flavors.