DIY Essential Oils

Book excerpt: Essential oils are volatile oils you can extract from plants (or other sources). The typical method of extraction is steam distillation. While you can make your own, beware that most "essential oil" recipes on the internet are really infused oils. It helps to know the difference. Infused oils are made by soaking herbs in a particular oil to extract the active compounds. Some botanicals, such as calendula, infuse very well and create a very healing oil. But some, like lavender, are never quite as good as the actual essential oil. Many essential oils are steam distilled, which involves simmering the plant material to produce steam, which travels through a tube, which is then run through cold water. The liquid that forms from condensation will be in two parts, a water compound, and an oil compound. The water compound is where floral waters, such as lavender and rose water, come from. The oils that rise to the top are DIY essential oils.