Making Your Own Essential Oils

As you are aware Essential Oils can be very expensive and prices can vary. In general EO's cost more than fragrance oils because how much of the plant and how hard it is to extract the oil from the plant. But what is great about EO's is the intense scent you get with only a few drops. Since the cost can be prohibitive for some or you just want to try to create your EO's then you can try to extract your own EOs. I just want to let you know that if you try and make your own EO's, your product will not be as potent as the ones you would purchase from a reputable retailer or manufacturer. Because the EO's you purchases have been extracted with the use of expensive distilling equipment.

There are several methods to extract your own oils, Kelly Ewing (author of Making Candles and Soaps for Dummies) recommends the following steps for the oil-infusion method:

1. Mash your herb, spice, or flower to release its oil and place it in a container. Do not use a metal container, or it will interact with the oils. However, essential oils can eventually eat through plastic, so it is best not to store oils in plastic containers. Glass bottles, especially the amber colored ones make the best storage containers for essential oils.

2. Pour either olive or safflower oil over your herbs until they are immersed and then cover the container.

3. Store at room temperature for 24 hours.

4. Using a strainer, strain and reserve the oil in a bowl place underneath the strainer. Kelly Ewing recommends to not forget to press the herbs with a spoon to get more oil.

5. Repeat Steps 2 through 4 a half dozen times. Ewing recommends the more you repeat these steps, the stronger your EO will be.

Source: Making Candles and Soaps for Dummies by Kelly Ewing, Willey Publishing, 2005. Page 230.