Lets start talking about essential oils. I will start on different methods for making them. The process of extracting essential oils varies depending on the type of plant material and the desired oil composition. The most common methods are steam distillation, solvent extraction or expression.
Steam distillation involves heating the plant material until it emits its volatile compounds into a steam-filled chamber. This is then cooled and collected as an essential oil.
Solvent extraction uses a variety of chemicals such as ethanol, hexane or acetone to extract the oil from the plant material. The extracted oil is then evaporated and distilled until pure.
Expression involves squeezing the oily liquid out of the plant material using mechanical pressure. This method is commonly used for citrus oils such as bergamot.
The choice of extraction method depends on the desired end product, the type of plant material and the availability of equipment.