| There are many methods for extracting essential oils | | | | water vapor to liquid water. This can be accelerated |
| from plant materials, but one of the most effective | | | | by ice or refrigeration methods, or simply by |
| is steam distillation. In this method, steam is passed | | | | providing ample surface area for the heat to escape. |
| over the plant material and picks up oil as it does. | | | | The water / oil combination passes from the |
| The steam is then condensed back into a liquid | | | | condensor into a separator. This is a container (often |
| where the oil can be separated from the water. | | | | made of glass) that will hold the liquid allowing time |
| One of the advantages of this essential oil extraction | | | | for the oil to rise and the water to settle to the |
| method is that it yields very pure oil. Other methods | | | | bottom. The separator may be specially made to |
| such as solvent extraction have the potential of | | | | allow the essential oil to be easily removed for |
| yielding oil that contains chemical by-products. | | | | bottling. |
| The three main parts of the distillation equipment | | | | The water that is left after the oil is skimmed from |
| include the retort or still, the condensor, and the | | | | the top still has oil in it and may have some useful |
| separator. | | | | purpose. Such is the case with lavender. After the |
| Plant material is introduced into the retort where it | | | | pure lavender oil is removed, the remaining water - |
| comes in contact with the steam. The retort is a | | | | called hydrosol - still has enough oil in it to have a |
| container large enough to hold the plant material and | | | | very pleasant aroma. It can be used to freshen |
| strong enough to withstand the heat and pressure of | | | | laundry, linens, or simply as an air freshener in any |
| the steam. The plant material may sit in the water as | | | | room. |
| it is boiled to produce steam (hydrodistillation), or it | | | | Distillation equipment is available in many sizes, from |
| may be suspended above the boiling water by | | | | small stove top units for the hobbyist to large |
| means of a grate or a screen (wet steam method), | | | | commercial units that are used by essential oil |
| or the boiling water may be in a completely separate | | | | manufacturers. |
| container where the steam is introduced into the | | | | The amount of oil that can be extracted from a |
| retort below the plant material through a pipe (dry | | | | given amount of plant material through essential oil |
| steam method). | | | | distillation will depend greatly on the type of oil being |
| The heat from the steam will break open the plant | | | | distilled. For instance, an ounce of lavender oil may |
| fibers, exposing the oil where it can be picked up by | | | | only require a few pounds of lavender buds, but an |
| the steam as it passes by. The steam / oil | | | | ounce of rose oil may require several hundred pounds |
| combination will then leave the retort and pass | | | | of rose petals. |
| through the condensor. This component may simply | | | | Whether you have your own distillation equipment or |
| be a coil of copper tubing or pipe. The purpose of | | | | you purchase oil that has been extracted through |
| the condensor to provide a place for the heat to | | | | essential oil distillation, it's easy to appreciate this age |
| escape from the steam so that it can change from | | | | old but effective method. |