Essential oils are extracted from various parts of plants.
This is done via the process of distillation.
It is the technique used to extract the essential oils.
One of the types of distillation is the steam distillation.
Steam distillation remains extremely popular, even in this techno- savvy age.
This process uses steam to heat the part of the plant, from which the oil has to be extracted.
The vapors and the essence of the plant are then collected and bottled.
Oils are obtained from fruits like grapefruit by cold -pressing and using the centrifugal method of separation.
There are flowers, like jasmine, that have a low content of oil for extraction.
The heating process can waste the oil.
For extracting the oil, a lengthy and expensive process has to be followed.
It is known as enfleurage.
The flowers are placed on a surface that is odorless, for a long period of time.
The extract is allowed to accumulate on this surface.
The process is continued till the extract saturates the surface.
Then alcohol is added to it and the surface, usually made of fat is absorbed by it.
The essence remains.
Many other methods such as solvent extraction, turbo distillation extraction, hydro diffusion extraction and carbon dioxide diffusion extraction are used to extract essential oils.
Solvent extraction is a comparatively cheaper method.
A solvent such as alcohol is added to the part of the plant used for extraction and when the essence is transferred to it, the solvent is allowed to vaporize.
The essence is collected and bottled.
Coarse or hard textured plants emit the essence by the turbo distillation extraction method.
Water is allowed to circulate continuously through the plant and the essence is extracted.
This method is used to extract essential oils from plants not easily available.