Essential oils are versatile products that can supplement your life in many different ways. They’re more than just those things you use for aromatherapy. Essential oils can also help with anxiety, nourish your skin, and make the perfect addition to DIY cleaning products.
Maybe you already love essential oils and use them often. If so, you might also be interested in creating your own essential oils.
If you’ve ever wondered how to make essential oils, then you’ve come to the right place. Keep reading to get a complete overview of this process and to find a step-by-step guide that you can follow to start creating immediately.
Consider shopping for these products to ensure you have what you need to get the most out of your DIY essential oils:
- Natural Beauty Wellness Kit for ingredients and tools that can be used in many essential oil recipes
- Essential Oil Car Diffuser to bring the power of essential oils to your vehicle
- Our Tools section contains more than twenty products, from infusing baskets to oil diffusers, to help you make essential oils.
What is an essential oil, anyway?
An essential oil is a type of plant extract. The compound’s name comes from the fact that the oil captures the plant’s essence in the form of its scent or flavor.
Essential oils are created by steaming or pressing a part of the plant in order to produce its oil. A plant’s flowers, bark, leaves, or fruit may be used for this process, depending on which type of essential oil you’re trying to create.
It’s important to note that there are some limitations on what can be called a true essential oil. Generally, oils that were created through a chemical process (instead of a natural one) don’t qualify.
Once an essential oil is created, it’s often combined with a carrier oil, such as jojoba oil, to create a product that’s ready for use. There are a variety of applications for these compounds.
For example, essential oils have been used by humans for centuries via aromatherapy, in which people inhale essential oils for therapeutic benefit.
Results of lab studies into the effectiveness of essential oils are promising. There are some indications that they can help to alleviate conditions such as:
- Low appetite
- Dry mouth
Essential oils also make excellent additions to cleaning, beauty, and skincare products, as many are jam-packed with antibiotic, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties.
Why make essential oils yourself?
Despite the availability of high-quality essential oils for purchase, many people still choose to make their own. They do so for a few reasons.
If you already grow your own plants and herbs, then you might use whatever extra you have to create essential oils. Doing so allows you to optimize your yield by creating a highly versatile product that will last you for months.
You also get more opportunities to customize your essential oils when you make them yourself. For example, you can create your own blends during the distillation process by using several plants or herbs in the same batch.
Finally, creating essential oils can be a ton of fun. It’s a hobby that’s full of opportunities for experimentation. You’ll also get the satisfaction of creating your very own healthy-supportive products from scratch.
What equipment do you need to make essential oils?
Most essential oils are created through one of two processes: steam distillation or mechanical expression.
Mechanical expression is commonly used to create citrus essential oils, such as orange, bergamot, and lime. But it’s a labor-intensive method that typically requires more equipment than your other option.
This guide will focus on showing you how to easily create essential oils through the steam distillation process. Given that, our equipment list will focus on what’s needed for this method.
It can be useful to start with a brief description of how steam distillation works. The process is very straightforward.
Plant material is exposed to steam. The heat present in this steam causes the oil that’s present in the plant material to evaporate. But the vapor is contained thanks to the tool that’s being used in the distillation process.
The vapors are cooled after they’ve been heated to the point of evaporation. This causes condensation of both the water and essential oil vapors. Because water and oil won’t mix, they can be separated quite easily once this process is complete.
The equipment requirements for an at-home steam distillation of essential oils are quite modest. In fact, you’ll only need three things to get the job done:
- A crockpot with a lid
- Distilled water
- Plant material of your choice (at least 3-4 cups chopped)
What plants can be used to make essential oils
You’re really only limited by your imagination in choosing which plants to use when creating your own essential oils. Looking at the benefits offered by each of the plants that you’re considering can help you narrow down your options significantly.
Here’s an overview of the types of plants that will create essential oils to support several health benefits:
For Better Sleep:
- Clary Sage
To Reduce Anxiety:
To Wake Up and Increase Focus:
- Sweet Orange
To Boost Your Mood:
To Reduce Acne:
- Tea tree
To Reduce Skin Aging
- Carrot Seed
How to make essential oils: a step-by-step guide
Creating your own essential oils is easier than you might think. Here’s a step-by-step guide that you can follow to do it.
- Gather your ingredients and equipment
For this recipe, you’re going to need a crockpot with a lid, distilled water, and enough fresh plant material to fill the crockpot to about the halfway mark. This typically translates to about 3-4 cups of chopped plant material.
You can use one type of plant or combine multiples types to create your own essential oil blends.
- Place the ingredients into the crockpot
Start by putting the plant material into the crockpot. Then, cover it with water. Note that the water shouldn’t fill more than 3/4 of the crockpot’s volume.
Next, place the lid on the crockpot upside down. This will ensure that the steam that forms goes back into the pot instead of escaping. A plate will get the job done as well if you don’t have a lid.
- Turn the crockpot on
Use the high setting at first to get the water heated. Once that’s done, you should turn the crockpot down to low. Allow the mixture to simmer on that setting for 3-4 hours.
- Turn off the crockpot and let the mixture cool
This should take another few hours. Once the mixture has cooled, transfer the crockpot into the refrigerator and leave it there overnight. You can transfer the mixture into a separate container if your crockpot won’t fit into the refrigerator.
- Pull the crockpot out of the refrigerator the next day
When you do, you should notice a thin film of oil on top of the mixture. This is your essential oil.
You’ll need to work carefully and quickly to lift the film of essential oil off of the mixture. Transfer it into a bottle once you’ve done that.
- Label the bottle of essential oil and store it for later use
Congratulations! You’ve just created your very own essential oil. Make sure that you store it away from the light and heat to ensure that it lasts as long as possible.
Or you can make your own products with your own essential oils
Many people who create their own essential oils do so for the purposes of aromatherapy. But the beauty of this all-natural product lies in its versatility. You can use the oils that you create for many different applications. Here are a few examples.
Essential Oil Cleaning Products
Essential Oil Skincare Products
If you have oily skin, then consider using geranium rose essential oil to keep excess sebum at bay.
Our Natural Beauty Wellness Kit includes all of the tools and natural ingredients that you need to create your very own essential-oil-based skincare and beauty products.
Consuming Essential Oils
You can also enjoy your nutrient-rich DIY essential oils by consuming them. For example, place a few drops of an essential oil into a cup of water once a day. Doing so can be a healthy replacement for your favorite flavored beverage.
There is a dizzying number of essential oil recipes for you to try. With so many options to consider, it can be challenging to zero in on the ones that will help you work towards your health and wellness goals.
We’ve created a product that will help with that. Consider purchasing our essential oil recipe book for home and self-care. It features more than 300 recipes and can be targeted based on pain points such as:
It’s the perfect way to get as much out of your DIY essential oils as possible.