Practical Skills: How to Make Essential Oil
May 27, 2006 at 1:48 pm (Skills)
Essential oils are used in a variety of different products that you can make yourself. They are aromatic oils that exist within plants and flowers, and are the concentrated essences of those plants and flowers.
While it is possible to buy these oils, it would ultimately be much cheaper to make them yourself, though a bit more difficult. For now, I am going to outline a method of extracting these oils with little difficulty. There are better ways, which are also more difficult ways, to do it, but until I do them myself, I will concentrate on the easier method.
What you need:
Oil, olive or any other very lightly scented oil
Herb you wish to extract oils from
For every cup of oil you’ll need 1/4 of an ounce of herbs.
First, you’ll need to mix the oil and herbs together, heating them up in a crock pot on low heat for about 6 hours. Another method would be combining them in a mason jar and setting in the sun for 2 weeks.
Once the time is up, be it 6 hours or 2 weeks, the liquid needs to be strained with a cheese cloth. Avoid any cloth that has been bleached, as this will contaminate your final product. Empty into a clean mason jar, label it with contents and the date created, and store in a cool, dry spot. Shelf life is generally about 6 months.
That’s all! Now you have a very simple method of extracting the essential oils from plants and flowers.
- Miranda Vivian
Aftermath » Blog Archive » Practical Skills: Insects and How You Can Keep Them Away said,
June 3, 2006 at 11:42 am
[...] Now that you know how to make essential oils, there are many other things you can make that require these oils. One of those things is insect repellent. It is summer time now. Time for mosquitoes, time for yellow jackets, time for ticks. Basically, it's time for bugs! Who wouldn't want to know how to keep them away without the use of deet? [...]
maggi turner said,
November 21, 2007 at 2:30 am
hi i would like to make my own face creams how many drops of oils are required to the amount of base cream
Aftermath said,
November 21, 2007 at 4:07 am
First of all, making your own herbal products with oils is not an exact science. I’ve personally made sunscreen (and after-burn lotion), first aid cream, shampoo and conditioner, and lotions of different varieties all through trial and error.
What oils are you using in your face cream?
What other ingredients will be included in your cream?
What will your face cream do? Cleanse? Moisturize? Is it for dry skin? Oily skin?
All of these are factors for how much of any given ingredient you will use.
- Miranda Vivian
Batshua said,
March 13, 2008 at 12:01 am
Thank you so much for posting this. I’ve been scouring the web for a way to make my own essential oils that didn’t involve pressing or building a still. I knew there had to be a way that was essentially steeping without all the fancy equipment, and now I have a way to do it that I know will work. I can’t wait to try it out!
ami said,
March 13, 2008 at 10:51 pm
is it right to use any kind of herbs or flowers to make essential oil?
(eg. chrysanteum)
I can’t wait to try it!
Di Collins said,
April 22, 2008 at 11:22 pm
What oil can I mix with 100% essential oil to burn in oil burner???????
Feronia said,
April 24, 2008 at 1:49 am
You can actually just mix a few drops of essential oil with a bit of water in the dish of the burner. Works quite nicely.
Feronia said,
April 24, 2008 at 1:52 am
Forgot to ask. . .am I supposed to put the lid on the mason jar? or do i leave it open?
Aftermath said,
April 25, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Ami,
You can pretty much use any plant or flower to make essential oil. You might want to make sure it smells pleasant though! There is one tree where I live that has flowers with a very rotten meat kind of smell. Probably wouldn’t want to use anything like that.
Di,
What Feronia said!
Feronia,
Leave the lid on, it will work better. And other things wont get into it.
Sorry for the delay folks!
- Miranda Vivian