In this article, I am going to discuss extraction methods of essential oils. If you are considering buying organic essential oils wholesale and you would like to learn more about these products, you are likely to find it here.

You can also check out my previous article for more details on organic essential oils and dropshipping business opportunities.

Oxford Dictionary of Chemistry defines essential oils as “a natural oil with a distinctive scent secreted by the glands of certain aromatic plants.”  Making use of these oils is not a recently discovered practice. These aromatic substances were ancient medicines in ancient civilizations such as Egypt, Greece, and the Roman Empire. Ancient wisdom knew how to make use of their healing benefits as well as its spiritual benefits, that is- relaxation, massage therapy, aroma, and scent. On the other hand, in our bustling modern world, we are appreciating the benefits of these plant-based oils to a greater extent. Most people recognize organic essential oil as a natural alternative to certain medicine but without the toxins. Current scientific review backs these oils as substances that can be just as effective as antibiotics in treating certain infections.

Extraction Methods of Essential Oils

There are different methods of extracting essential oils from their potential. While some of methods are ancient and rarely used anymore, some others are very effective and widely used. Let`s take a closer look at different extraction methods.

Enfleurage

Enfleurage is “a method of extracting essential oils from flowers by placing them on glass trays covered with purified lard or other fat, which eventually becomes saturated with the oil.”

This is surely one of the oldest extraction methods.  Processors commonly used this extraction technique before more modern methods were introduced. Nowadays, it is a traditional method we rarely use because of its high-cost compared to modern techniques.

The process starts with placing delicate flowers such as Jasmine on a glass tray. The second step is to cover the plate with a thin layer of pure lard or fat. Afterwards, the proccessors allow oil from flowers to diffuse into the lard. This usually takes a few days. Then, it is time to collect the lard or fat. Finally, the processors extract oil from the lard using ethanol alcohol. As you might be able to tell from the method`s name, the French used this method during the 18th century. Such a process tends to be time consuming and not cost-effective. Thereofre, it is not widely used anymore. This method paved the way for the modern method of solvent extraction.

Solvent Extraction

When a plant is too delicate for steam distillation, processors use a solvent extraction method. In addition, when a plant produces very little oil, steam distillation becomes very impractical. Therefore, we use solvent extraction for such plants.

A solvent is simply a liquid in which other substances of a solution can dissolve. For this method to work, solvent needs to create an “absolute” in the form of concrete. In order to produce concrete, one needs to saturate the plant gradually with a solvent. Then, the solvent dissolves the plant’s components, such as essential oils, and fatty acids. After the processor is takes off the solvent, the remaining components make up the concrete. Finally, you can extract essential oil from the other constituents with alcohol.

Steam Distillation

Steam distillation is the most common and the most effective method of extracting plant-based oils. This method has been around for centuries and continues and popular extraction method to this day. For this method to work, the proceessors place the plant in a distillation chamber. Then, they introduce it  into the chamber. The steam breaks down the plant tissue. As a result, the essential oil releases into a vaporized form. The vaporized essences, along with the steam and other substances, pass into a pipe through the condensers. The vapors separate from the water and return to liquid form, where the processor captures it as essential plant oil.

Cold Press

This method is specifically used for extracting oil from citrus, which are plants like orange, grapefruit, lime, lemon, and pomelo. Cold press is a mechanical method. It is perhaps the simplest essential oil extraction method. The cold press method simply utilizes pressure to physically remove the oil from citrus. This cold press operators apply this method to citrus because of the plant’s specific oil-bearing structure.

Drop Shipping Essential Oils

Because essential oils are widely used for its a great many benefits, they are really good products to sell online using the dropshipping method. Drop shipping allows you to sell essential oils without having to stock them yourself. This eliminates inventory risk and allows you to make money without much risk. Using the inventory data of a drop shipping supplier, you can list your oils in an online marketplace. When your customers buy them from you, the supplier will ship directly to your customers. The end customer will not know it is coming from a supplier as there will be no information about the drop shipper on the package. With this method, you can list these oils with real wholesale prices and sell them at retail prices.

Learn more about drop shipping or join us if you are ready to sell organic essential oils online.