How to Make Essential Oils?

Want to Know How to Make Essential Oils?

Essential oils are now known to most of the people. But very few people know about how to make essential oils. Making of essential oils is very costly and sometimes even very lengthy process. To make essential oils you require several hundred or thousands kilos/pounds of raw plants to produce few pounds of a pound of essential oils. This explains why the cost of essential oils is so high.

Essential oils are more commonly used by perfume industries. They are more interested in its aromatic quality or value. Their extraction method involves high temperature; high pressure and few chemicals are also used. This increases the production quantity and even reduces the time. But these cannot be used as therapeutic grade essential oils, which are used in treating various diseases and disorders. The reasons are simple as they are destroyed due to excess heat or imply not released from the plants.

Instructions To Make Essential Oils:

Steam Distillation

Steam distillation is one of the most commonly used methods for making of essential oils. Steam distillation is used in three different methods.

In first case of steam distillation uses just water, where plant material is placed in boiling water. The rising steam and oils are captured and then separated. Clove oil is distilled this way.

In second way we use a combination water/steam method where boiling water and steam are pushed through and around the plant matter (this is how nutmeg essential oil is distilled).

The final method is straight steam, where steam is pushed through the plant material, picking up the essential oils. Lavender is distilled this way.

In each of steam distillation the steam rises and penetrates through oils membranes of the plants to release essential oil. This steam which is carrying essential oil molecules, rises to a condenser, where the oil-steam mixture condenses and re-liquefies. As the steam condenses back to water, the lighter essential oil collects and floats on the top. This mixture is then sent to a separator where the oil is separated from the water. The remaining water is referred to as hydrosol or floral water.

Expressed Oils:

This process of making expressed oils involves pressing of skin of the fruits, such as lime, mandarin, orange, grapefruit, lemon, and tangerine. Expressed oils are not technically essential oils as they are rich in terpene alcohols. But their therapeutic value is really high. Also one more point to remember the best Expressed oils are obtained from fruits from organic cultivation.

Solvent-Extraction:

Solvent extraction involves the use of oil-soluble solvents, such as hexane, di-methylenechloride, and acetone.

Absolutes:

Absolutes are technically not “essential oils” but are “essences.” They are obtained from the grain alcohol extraction of a concrete, which is the solid waxy residue that is derived from the extraction of plant materials, usually flower petals. This method of extraction is used primarily for botanicals where the fragrance and therapeutic parts of the plant can only be unlocked using solvents. Jasmine and Neroli Essential Oils are extracted this way.