You Can Learn How to Make Essential Oils at Home

If you have been wondering how to make use of the beautiful roses that are growing in your garden, or if you have an herbal patch with fragrant plants, you can learn how to make essential oils yourself so you can enjoy them long after the plant goes dormant for the winter. You can easily do it at home using a simple distillation method using water and steam.

Steps to How to Make Essential Oils at Home

The first thing you need to do when learning how to make essential oil at home, is to buy or make the essential oil still you will use to extract the oil from the plants. A good manufactured still can cost a few hundred dollars if not more. If you are planning a home business using essential oils, then this might be the right choice for you.

If you are more mechanically inclined you can build your own still. There is much room for variety and innovation and if you plan only to learn how to make essential oil for your own use, exploring the do it yourself possibilities may make more economical sense.

The next thing you will need to do is to gather the raw materials. Harvesting your plant at just the right time to get the most out of it is vital. If you have a certain type of plant or plants in mind, you should do some research to find when the best time to harvest the plant to get the most intense scent. If you decide not to grow your own, you can visit markets where plants are sold and speak to the person on duty about which plants will be best as you are learning how to make essential oil.

Once you have your plant material, it is now time to dry it. Though drying will reduce the amount of oil you get from each of the plants, it can greatly add to your yield per batch because you can fit more biomass in the container this way. Dry your plants slowly and do not put them in direct sunlight. When you are learning how to make essential oil, it is a matter of preference whether you want to dry your plants or not.

Now you are ready to add water to the still. Use spring or filtered water for the best results when you are learning how to make essential oil. If you have bought a distiller, read the instructions thoroughly. Be sure you add enough water to complete the process and if you are unsure, stay near and check the water frequently until you become more familiar with how to make essential oil.

Add the plant materials to the still and avoid cutting or breaking them, as this will cause you to lose some of the precious oil. Pack tightly, close and boil. Of course it isn't as simple as we have made it out to be. Learning how to make essential oil is something that you should research thoroughly before attempting. You may find that once you learn how to make essential oil, it becomes a relaxing and rewarding hobby, and produces results that the whole family can enjoy.