How Essential Oils Are Created By A Nutt At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Essential oils are used in perfumes, bath products, creams, lotions, and in aromatherapy. The oils are used for promoting physical and mental health as well as to improve aroma. Most formulas require just a couple of drops.

Essential oils are extracted from flowers and plants. Making essential oils involves the use of special equipment. There are a number of methods used to extract the oil that include:

Steam Distillation: Fresh plants are placed in a still. Steam is sent into a lower chamber of the still and sent through the plant ingredients to vaporize the oils in the plant material. The blend of steam and oil then goes through a condenser. The essential oil is extracted from the floral water in the separator. Some plants contain aromatic compounds that remain in the water that is left over after distillation. This water, known as hydrosols, is used by Aromatherapists in products such as cosmetics as a skin moisturizer.

Expression: This extraction method involves pressing the plant's skins, seeds, and flesh. It is most often used when extracting citrus peels.

Cold Pressing: This form of extraction is another method of removing oils from fruit. The process involves rolling the fruit between spiked protuberances which penetrate the peel. The squeezing will extract the juices that hold the essential oil. The juice is then put through a centrifuge in order to separate the oil from the juice.

Enfleurage: Flower blossoms are placed on sheets of warm vegetable fat that absorb the oil from the flowers. The fat is separated out with solvents, leaving just the essential oil. It is a lengthy and expensive method of essential oil extraction.

Solvents: This method of extraction is not popular with all-natural Aromatherapists because it involves the use of manmade chemicals. The plant is dissolved in a solvent such as chlorure of methylene, benzene, and hexane. A device is used to extract the essential oil from the evaporated material. The oils extracted are known as "absolutes."

Carbon Dioxide Extraction: A high pressure is obtained by pumping the gas carbon dioxide into a chamber containing the plant matter. As the pressure increases, the gas becomes a liquid and works as a solvent. The new solvent is then passed into another chamber where the pressure is released. The carbon dioxide solvent vaporizes leaving behind the essential oil. This method is used only for expensive oils because the process is costly.

Learning what oil and fragrance best suits your needs will help achieve optimum health results. Essential oils provide a number of benefits such as alleviate pain, promote relaxation, relieve tension, act as a natural insect repellent, contains anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties, stimulates digestion, alleviate respiratory systems, detoxifies the air, improve mental function, and promotes healthy skin.

The essential oil is a very tiny part of the flower or plant. Many plants are needed to create a small amount of oil. Depending on how the essential oil is produced, it can have an impact on the concentration and quality of the oil.

Essential oils are a popular natural health product that is quickly gaining worldwide recognition.

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