Bergamot Givco 104/5 (Givaudan)

Bergamot Givco 104/5 – Givaudan

Bergamot is the top note classical perfumery hangs on – from eau de cologne through fougère to chypre. It is also the raw material where formulation most often runs into a limit: cold-pressed bergamot oil is phototoxic. Bergamot Givco 104/5 is Givaudan's answer to that – the bergamot character without the substances that make it problematic in leave-on products.

Odour character

• Citrus, fresh, sparkling (official description: citrus-like)
• Carried by linalyl acetate – the sweet, slightly floral facet of true bergamot
• Orange terpenes provide the sparkling peel freshness
• Linalool forms the soft bridge into the heart of the composition
• Yellow to dark yellow, liquid

Why a base instead of the oil

Cold-pressed bergamot oil contains bergapten (5-methoxypsoralen) and other furocoumarins. These molecules react to UV light: on the skin and subsequently in the sun they can cause burns and lasting pigmentation. The threshold is around 10 ppm – depending on origin, cold-pressed bergamot oil contains bergapten in the order of several thousand ppm, several hundred times above that.

The IFRA restricted bergamot oil as early as 1974 – one of the earliest restrictions the industry ever imposed on itself. Narrow limits on bergapten content have applied to leave-on products exposed to sunlight ever since.

Bergamot Givco 104/5 is a composed mixture of fragrance materials – it contains no furocoumarins. Its classification accordingly shows no phototoxicity. For the binding assessment of your own formula, the manufacturer's IFRA certificate applies.

The second route to the same goal is FCF bergamot oil – natural oil with the furocoumarins removed by vacuum distillation. Both solutions are legitimate: the FCF oil remains a natural product, while the base stays identical from batch to batch and holds up in alkaline media where natural citrus oils break down.

Role in the formula

The composition follows the structure of natural bergamot:

Plus citral, limonene, geranyl acetate and neryl acetate in smaller proportions. In natural bergamot oil, linalyl acetate and linalool together account for roughly half the profile – it is precisely this ratio that carries the bergamot impression. The orange terpenes supply the peel freshness of the first minutes.

Use in perfumery

As a top note in eau de cologne structures, fougère and chypre accords, and wherever a carried citrus freshness is needed that does not smell of pure limonene.

As a finished base it is not dosed in traces but can account for a substantial share of the composition – for the bergamot base Givaudan states up to 25% in the concentrate. Anyone wanting finer control later takes the base as a starting point and sharpens individual facets deliberately.

Practical notes: dissolving, storing, combining

Dissolving: practically insoluble in water, readily miscible with ethanol and common perfumery solvents. Density 0.875 g/ml at 20 °C.

Storing: cool, dry and protected from light, container tightly closed. Citrus materials oxidise in air – keep containers as full as possible and close them promptly after use.

Combining: classically with lavender and coumarin for fougère, with oakmoss substitutes and patchouli for chypre, with Hedione® for an airy floral opening.

Safety information

Bergamot Givco 104/5 is classified as a hazardous mixture under CLP Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, signal word “Danger”. It is a highly concentrated citrus compound – the classification is what is usual for citrus materials at this concentration. In the finished formula the proportion is orders of magnitude lower.

Classified for: skin irritation (Category 2), serious eye irritation (Category 2), skin sensitisation (Category 1), aspiration hazard (Category 1) and chronic aquatic hazard (Category 2). Not a PBT or vPvB substance, no endocrine-active constituents at or above 0.1%.

Important in practice: aspiration hazard means the material can enter the lungs if swallowed and cause severe damage there. Do not pipette by mouth, do not decant into food containers, and if swallowed do not induce vomiting – seek medical help immediately.

Skin sensitisation Category 1: wear protective gloves and avoid skin contact with the undiluted material.

The flash point is 62 °C (Grabner miniflash, closed cup) – not a flammable substance for transport purposes. For transport: UN 3082, class 9, packing group III, classified as a marine pollutant.

Please consistently prevent residues or rinse water from entering the sewer system.

Physico-Chemical Properties

FAQ

What is Bergamot Givco 104/5?
A bergamot base composed by Givaudan – a perfume compound of linalyl acetate, orange oil terpenes and linalool that bundles the bergamot character into one material.

Is the material phototoxic?
No. Phototoxicity in bergamot comes from furocoumarins, above all bergapten. These are not present in the base, and the material's classification shows no phototoxicity. Binding for your own formula is the manufacturer's IFRA certificate.

What does the “/5” in the name mean?
Givco 104 is the catalogue number of the bergamot base; the “/5” denotes the current reformulation. It replaces the earlier Givco 104.

What is the difference between a Givco base and a single molecule?
A single molecule delivers one facet, a base delivers a finished accord. Givco bases are designed to be used directly in a composition.

Why is this material classified as hazardous when natural citrus oils often are not?
The classification follows concentration. A highly concentrated compound reaches thresholds that a diluted application does not.

How should the material be stored?
Cool, dry, protected from light and in containers kept as full and tightly closed as possible. Citrus materials react sensitively to atmospheric oxygen.

Hazard information (CLP labelling)

Important note

This product is a perfumery raw material and is intended exclusively for fragrance development, creative experimentation, training and the study of perfumery materials. It is not a finished cosmetic product. Please use responsibly.

Bergamot Givco 104/5 – origin, chemistry and the furocoumarin question →