Essential oils are actually
extracts from certain plants, trees, and fruits using a technique called
distillation. Since
plants contain such a small amount of extract, several pounds of plants are
needed to provide a small bottle. The essential oils are then refined
and distilled and packaged in containers that help maintain the scent and
fragrance for a good amount of time. The following is a list of
treatments and extract procedures that produce the essential oils for us to use
in aromatherapy or natural skin care products.
Steam Distillation
Steam distillation is the most popular and the oldest
distillation process available. Old time, traditional aromatherapy
professionals believe this method is the best way to produce the best quality
extracts. This system takes dried or fresh plants and places them into a
steam chamber. The steam is put under pressure and then circulated in and
out of the plant material. The heat from the pressurized steam causes the
plant’s cellular structure to open and the essential oils pour into a holding
container. This is a
delicate method since the
heat must be well balanced to open the plant but not too hot causing
destruction of the delicate oil.
After the steam and oil are distilled into a container, the
steam returns to a liquid while the oil creates a film at the top of the
solution. Both the liquid and the oil are both therapeutic by-products of
the process. The oils can be packaged as pure essential oil
extract. The water still holds a lot of the oil properties, so it is used
by cosmetic companies in toners or skin creams.
Cold Pressing
Extracts from fruits such as bergamot, grapefruit, lemon or
limes use different forms of processing. The essential oils are mainly in the fruit’s peel, so
they need to be penetrated. The fruit’s peel is rolled over a large array
of sharp objects that cause the peel to burst and the oils extracted.
Then the fruit is squeezed and the juice contained. Like steam
distillation, the essential oils rise to the top of the juices as a film.
They are separated by centrifugation into containers that are then packaged for
sale.
Effleurage
This method of extraction is used for flowers or plants that are
very delicate. Some plants are too delicate to withstand the heat from
steam distillation. Effleurage uses animal fat to absorb the essential
oils from the delicate flowers. As the petals are depleted from their
oils, more are placed on the animal fats until it is completely saturated with
the extract. After the fat is saturated, the fat is treated with alcohol
which solvates the essential oils. Once the mixture is contained, the
alcohol will evaporate leaving behind the essential oil product. This is
usually very time consuming but
is the only way to extract oils from delicate flowers like jasmine and rose,
and the reason why they are usually more expensive but so worth it!
Solvent Extraction
Solvent extraction is the most efficient and affordable way to
separate the extract from the plant. In this method, a solvent is used to
saturate the plant and absorb the oils. After saturation, it is then
treated with alcohol. Like effleurage, the alcohol eventually evaporates
and it leaves only the essential oils for packaging. This method is
especially useful for more expensive extracts where each plant needs to be
squeezed for its extract as much as possible. Although this method is the
most cost efficient, it can leave solvent in the product which can cause side
effects.
Essential oils are
a wonderful addition to natural skin care recipes and offer amazing therapeutic
properties along with pleasing and stimulating scents. There are many simple
recipes and remedies that can be blended using essential oils, so if you have
not ventured into aromatherapy much yet now is the time, there is always
something to learn or create.
