Distilling essential oil can be used for aromatherapy, in cuisine, beauty, healing or to set a mood. Here's the methodology to capture the zest of citrus, aromatic florals from rose and other flowers, and the exotic scent of resins.
What is Steam Distillation?
Steam distillation is a separation process using steam to extract volatile aromatic compounds from plant material. The process works by passing steam through the plant material, causing the essential oils to evaporate.
The steam and oil mixture is then cooled, allowing the essential oil to condense and separate from the water. This method or the cold-press technique are both good for extracting oils from citrus. The essential oils are in the peel.
Distillation separates components of a mixture based on differences in their boiling points. In aromatherapy, the most common method is steam distillation, where steam is passed through plant material to vaporize the essential oils.
Materials
Distillation Apparatus: Distillation kits can be found online or assembled at home using a pot with lid; a heat-proof bowl; a heat source and ice.
Fresh Plant Material: Choose your desired type: floral petals, resinous materials or citrus peels.
Water: Distilled or purified as desired.
Ice: For creating condensation, if required.
Distilling Floral Essential Oils
Floral essential oils, such as lavender, rose, and chamomile, are best extracted through steam distillation due to the delicate nature of the flowers. The aromatic compounds are in the petals.
Simmering rose or other flower petals also makes a fragrant rose water or hydrosol. Rose water is used for scent, a soft perfume; beautiful skin, health and even cuisine.
Distillation Ingredients:
Fresh or dried flower petals (lavender, rose, chamomile)
Water
Prepare Lab Distillation Setup or put a pot of water on the stove. Set the heat-resistant bowl inside the pot, making sure it floats above the water.
Add Flowers: Fill the water with flower petals. Cover with a lid turned upside down. The lid should cover the pot, with the inverted end over the empty bowl. Fill the lid with ice to speed condensation.
As the water heats to boiling, the vapors containing both water (hydrosol) and essential oils condense on the inverted lid. The liquids run down the lid into the bowl. They can be separated as the oils cool and float on top of the hydrosol
Collection: After 30-60 minutes of steam distillation, collect the liquid from the bowl. The oil will typically rise to the top and can be separated.
With the lab setup the oils should travel through a condensing tube as vapor, condense and drain into a collector vessel such as a measuring beaker or jar.
Distilling Resin Essential Oils
Resins like frankincense and myrrh require a different approach since they are solid at room temperature. Their oils can be extracted through steam distillation or solvent extraction.
Ingredients:
Dried resin pieces (frankincense, myrrh)
Water
Method:
Setup: Similar to floral oil distillation, set up the steam distillation apparatus.
Add Resins: Place the resin pieces in the distillation container filled with water.
Heat: Apply gentle heat and allow the steam to carry the resin's aromatic compounds.
Collection: As with floral distillation, the steam will condense on the lid, drop into the bowl and the essential oil can be collected for use.
Distilling Citrus With Steam
Citrus essential oils are popular in aromatherapy, cosmetics, and perfumes. Steam distillation is effective for citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruits. Citrus can also be cold-pressed to remove the oil.
Either way, peel the fruit, making sure to remove as much of the white pith as possible as it has bitter compounds. Chop the peels into smaller pieces to increase surface area for better extraction.
Set up the distillation equipment with the citrus peels.
Apply Heat: Start heating the water in the distillation flask. As the water heats up, steam will rise through the citrus peels, causing the essential oils to evaporate.
Monitor Temperature: Keep an eye on the temperature, making sure it stays stable. The ideal temperature for steam distillation should be around 100 degrees Celsius (212 degrees Fahrenheit).
Collect Distillate: As steam and oils travel through the condenser, the temperature change will cause them to condense back into liquid form and flow into the receiving flask. This liquid will contain both the hydrosol and essential oil.
Step 4: Separate the Essential Oil
After several hours of distillation, a thin layer of essential oil will be floating on top of the hydrosol in the receiving flask. Once the distillation process is complete, carefully separate the essential oil using a pipette or a separating funnel. Store the essential oil in amber glass bottles to protect it from light degradation.
Tips for Successful Extraction
Use Fresh Peels: The fresher the peels, the better the quality and quantity of oil you will extract.
Compress the Peels: Use a potato masher or similar tool to compress the peels in the distillation flask. This maximizes surface area and enhances oil extraction.
Be Patient: Steam distillation can take several hours, depending on the quantity of citrus peels used. Patience is key to achieving the best results.
Safety Precautions
Always work in a well-ventilated area.
Use caution when handling hot equipment to avoid burns.
Ensure your workspace is clean to prevent contamination of the essential oil.
Beware of unscrupulous online lab equipment vendors
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