How to Make Your Own
Essential Oil
The following is information on how to make your own essential
oil as well as basic facts on how an essential oils ismade in general.
There are three common ways to produce essential oils. These include:
distillation, expression, and extraction.
1. Three methods of Steam Distillation:
- Water: Plant material is put into a container of boiling water.
The steam is collected and the oils are separated from the water.
- Water & Steam: Plant material is placed in a container.
Boiling water and steam are put around and pushed through the
plant material. The steam is collected and the oils are separated
from the water.
- Steam: Plant material is placed in a container. Steam is pushed
through the plant material. The steam is collected and the ols
are separated from the water.
2. Expression or Cold Pressed:
- Organically grown citrus fruit rinds are pressed mechanically
to release their oils.
- Expressed oils are not technically essential oils.
3. Extraction:
- A solvent, such as hexane, is used to extract the oil and create
a concrete (a mixture of essential oil, resins, waxes, and other
plant material).
- A second solvent, such as ethyl alcohol, is used to extract
the oil from the concrete to create an absolute.
- The alcohol is removed by distillation, creating the oil.
- Absolutes are not really essential oils, but essences.
While it is possible to make your own essential oils, the quality
will suffer. Distillation is an art - the pressure and temperature
levels have to be monitored perfectly so as to not destroy the value
of the oil. Learn
why it's important to use pure therapeutic-grade essential oils.
Another thing to keep in mind is that it's actually much cheaper
in both time and money to purchase essential oils then to make your
own essential oils. Making them can be extremely expensive -
it can take hundreds and even thousands of pounds of plant material
to make a pound of essential oil.
Now, when you make your own essential oil there are a few things
to keep in mind:
- The plant material you use must be clean and free of pesticides,
herbicides, fungicides, and other chemicals.
- The final product will not be as potent as essential oils you
can purchase.
- You can use fresh or dried plant material.
- You can use herbs, spices, flower petals, or citrus fruit rinds.
- Always store essential oils in dark, glass containers in a cool,
dark place.
In preparing to make your own essential oil, you will need to determine
what you will be using the essential oil for. You will need
to decide which method to use or if you should simply purchase them.
If you want therapeutic benefits you will need to purchase
the essential oil from Young
Living Essential Oils. (Why
Young Living?) You will also need to purchase them if you want
the essential oils to be pure, such as if you are going to
use them for any of the following reasons:
- Body System Support
- Aromatherapy
- Cooking
However, you can make your own essential oils for the following
uses:
- Soap or Bath Salts - use methods 1 or 2.
- Perfume - use methods 1 through 4.
- Potpourri or Candles - use any of the 6 methods.
How to Make Your Own Essential Oils
These are all primitive methods of distilling or extracting the
oil out of the plant material. The heat used in the distilling methods
below will destroy the therapeutic benefits from the essential oils.
The oils obtained from the extraction methods below will not
be pure or therapeutic-grade.
Please use caution when using these essential oils. DO
NOT INGEST. The methods are listed in order of the quality
of oil you'll get (best first).
Method #1
Place plant material into a crock pot filled with distilled water.
Cook on low for 24 hours. Leave crock pot open and allow it to sit
for a week. Collect the oil off the surface of the water and put
it into a dark, glass container. Cover with a piece of cloth and
allow it to sit for a week to evaporate off any extra water. It
will last for about 12 months.
Method #2
Place ground up plant material in a cotton or linen bag. Tie it
shut and place it in a pot of distilled water. Bring water to a
boil and simmer slowly for 24 hours. Collect the oil off the surface
of the water (you may have to squeeze the bag) and put it into a
dark, glass container. Cover with a piece of cloth and allow it
to sit for a week to evaporate off any extra water. It will last
for about 12 months.
Method #3
Half-fill a large glass bottle with olive oil (or almond, jojoba,
or rapeseed). Cram as much plant material as possible into the bottle.
Cap it and let it sit in a cool, dark place for 24 hours. Shake
it. After three days strain it through cheese cloth and put liquid
in a dark, glass container. (If scent is not strong enough add more
plant material and repeat process.) It will last for about 6 months.
Method #4
Stir 1/2 ounce of plant material into 2 cups olive oil (or almond,
jojoba, or rapeseed). Cook in crock pot on low for about 6 hours.
Strain the mixture with unbleached cheese cloth and put liquid in
a dark, glass container. It will last for about 6 months.
Method #5
Place 1 Tablespoon ground up plant material, 1/2 cup of olive oil
(or almond, jojoba, or rapeseed), and 1/2 teaspoon of white vinegar
into a small bottle (cap on). Put it in a warm place (sunny window)
for three weeks. Shake it well twice a day. Strain the mixture with
unbleached cheese cloth and put liquid in a dark, glass container.
It will last for about 6 months.
Method #6
Soak plant material in a bottle of rubbing alcohol for two weeks
(cap on). Pour it out into a wide container. Allow alcohol to evaporate.
Collect the oil left in the container and put it into a dark, glass
container. It will last for about 6 months. Please note that this
method should NOT be consumed.
Have fun making your own essential oils!
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