Those who use aromatherapy on a regular basis may find it helpful to know how to make essential oils. Essential oils are extracted from plants and used medicinally to treat a number of conditions. There are hundreds of essential oils in use every day and some can be easily made at home.
The Process of Making Essential Oils
The first piece of equipment required when learning how to make essential oils is a still or distiller. These can be bought or made, but if you are planning to use it a lot then it is better to buy a ready-built one.
A still requires a heat source to boil the water. This is usually gas or solid fuel. It needs a holding tank for the water. Just above the tank should be something to hold the plant material.
The still should also have a condenser to collect the steam to cool it down and a separator which will remove the oil from the water.
When you make your own essential oils, it is important to gather the plant material at the right time and ensure you have enough to create a reasonable amount of oil. Some plants require a massive amount of flowers or leaves to create a small amount of oil so this needs to be taken into consideration.
The plant material may also be placed directly into the tank depending on the type of plant.
The material should be dried in order for more to fit into the apparatus. Dry the plants slowly and away from direct sunlight. They should be distilled as quickly as possible after drying.
Fill the tank with water and place the plant material in the top. Some plants can take up to six hours to distill, so it is important to ensure there is enough water in the tank.
The still should then be closed and the water allowed to boil. The distilled liquid will begin to come through the condenser and fall into the separator. The water in the tank may need to be topped up during the process and changed in the condenser to keep the cooling procedure continuous.
The oil should then be filtered through a dry, clean cotton fabric. The oil can then be decanted into a container. Dark glass bottles are best for storing essential oils, as this maximizes the life span.
The water that gathers in the separator can often be used too, particularly with flower essences such as rose or lavender.
Essential Oils Perfume
After learning how to make essential oils, one can then use the end product to make essential oils perfume. These are easily made even by someone who has little experience of using the oils.
A basic perfume requires only one oil and carrier oil. Oils should not – with the exception of lavender – be applied undiluted to the skin. Many oils are very strong and should first be diluted.
As a general rule, 6-7 drops of essential oil should be added to 5 ml of carrier oil.
Popular oils for making perfume include rose, lavender, jasmine, bergamot, and ylang ylang. Small bottles can be purchased for storing the perfume or even roller ball bottles for ease of application.
To enhance the aroma of the essential oil, it is important to choose carrier oils which have only a light aroma of their own. Jojoba is usually a good choice as a base for perfume oil. Those with more experience can begin blending a number of essential oils to make more complicated preparations.
Learning how to make essential oils can be very rewarding, especially when you get to reap the benefits with your own richly-scented, fresh essential oil. The satisfaction you get knowing that you made it and the freedom to make just the scent you want is worth the extra effort.