Learn about the Extraction Processes of Essential Oils
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Essential oil is a common ingredient in nature-based cosmetic products. You can consume these products by either inhaling them or applying them in a diluted form on your body. Essential oils are readily available in the market, and hence, some people feel that these are just regular cosmetic products. However, their use goes much beyond that and one needs to have adequate training in order to correctly administer its use. Essential oils are also a vital component of aromatherapy and it is important that one uses them correctly or else side effects can occur. This small article will help you learn some vital information about extracting essential oils.
What is an essential oil?
Essential oils are a highly concentrated liquid that is extracted from a plant based material like barks, flowers, fruits, berries, leaves, stems, roots, seeds, twigs and so on. This liquid can be extracted through a number of different methods.
Stem Distillation
Stem distillation is a common method that is used globally where pressurized steam is used on the plant material. This process allows oils to evaporate which are then collected and condensed. A mixture of oil and steam condenses into liquid where the oil floats above and is easily skimmed and separated. This method is suitable mostly for stronger plants.
Solvent Extraction
For weaker plants, that cannot withstand the steam distillation procedure like jasmine and rose, a different method is used to extract their essential oil. Solvent extraction is perfect for such plants and the extracted oil is mostly used for perfumes.
Carbon Dioxide Extraction
Carbon Dioxide extraction is another popular method for getting essential oils. Here, pressurized carbon dioxide is used as a solvent and it leaves behind no toxic residues to make a thick oil-base. These types of oils have a very strong aroma.
You can also extract essential oils from fruits by grinding and pressing them. There are varieties of essential oils available in the market and each are suitable for specific purposes. Essential oils like Kava Root Extract are in popular demand for their versatility in application and usage. You can easily buy such essential oils from online stores. However, an online stores will offer you more discount and variety of choices.
Conclusion
Essential oils are often expensive as the extraction process is long and difficult. However, the products are absolutely perfect. Hopefully, the information mentioned in this article will have helped you.