Essential oils are taking over the health and wellness market. There are tons of reasons to love essential oils, from stress relief to reducing insomnia. No matter what you need them for, essential oils have your back. Although, with such a surge in the health and wellness field, many people still don’t know how these miracle substances came to be.
If you’ve ever wondered how essential oils are made, you’ve come to the right place. Read on to find out more about the process.
How Are Essential Oils Made?
Essential oil’s healing properties come from plant extractions. Using processes such as steaming, extraction, or expression, one can pull the oils out of many types of plants. A carrier oil is then added to dilute potent plant extractions so that they’re safe and healthy for the skin.
Can You Make Your Own Essential Oils?
Making your own essential oils is an excellent hobby for natural health and wellness enthusiasts. It will also allow you more control over the scents and plants you’d like to use.
The most challenging part of DIY essential oil making is tackling the extraction process. Once you find a plant you’d like to use, consider using small-scale ethanol extraction equipment to obtain the compounds you need. You can also conduct this extraction in a crockpot, but the process is tedious.
Crock Pot Extraction
To use a crockpot for extraction, place a large handful of the dried plant material of your choice into a large crockpot, and fill the pot with distilled water to within an inch of the top. Cook on low for 24–36 hours, then shut it off and leave the top of the crockpot open. Next, cover the top with a piece of cheesecloth, and let it sit away from direct sunlight for a week. After a week, you can remove any oils on the top of the water and transfer them into an amber or blue glass jar.
After Extraction
If you choose to use extraction equipment, you can simply add the essential oil to a carrier oil once the extraction is complete. A few common carrier oils include:
- Olive oil
- Sunflower oil
- Coconut oil
- Avocado oil
Essential oils are a popular compound that aid in stress relief and reduce anxiety, headaches, and insomnia, among many other benefits. Use this guide to understand how these compounds came to be and how you can make your own essential oils.
Authored by Inspire Your Journey
