Extracting essential oils with ethanol

Making your own essential oils is a good way to exercise control over the process, save money and ensure it what you want. The most common method is to use water. This water boiled to form steam and steam extracts the essential oils.

The down side to this most common approach is that steam extract is somewhat crude. It not only creates an oil water mix in the end but extracts things other than the oils you want. The upside is how cheap and easy it is to do.

An advancement in this process is to use ethanol. Any alcohol will work but ethanol is the most readily available and safe.

The process of extracting essential oils with ethanol is largely the same as with stream. That means no extra equipment, training or problems.

The end result is a much cleaner and more easily separated essential oil extract. All you need do is siphon or pour off the top layer of oil. If you want to make this easier freeze it. Well partially freeze it by because ethanol does not freeze as easily. This means the oil will solidify first.