Make essential oils?

[Hernaic Tom]

Steam distillation? Is there a relatively straightforward way of making essential oils at home? I thought I'd try with Lavender and rosemary essential oils at first.....

Also.... possibly Buddleja davidii? Does anyone have any idea if you could get an essential oil from the flowers?

Thanks!

Tom

[CharlieLittle]

This may be of use.

http://home-distiller.com/essential-oil-distillation/

[Green Aura]

I've never heard of a Buddleia essential oil. As it's so prolific I would imagine it would be quite common if it were of any therapeutic use.

Essential oils are made by pressurised steam distillation - you can buy alembic stills in all sizes for the purpose - but they're not cheap. I've also seen water purifier units that claim to be good for this but I've never known anyone using one. If you're just wanting the oils for domestic use then you could probably rig something up - you need to force steam through packed plant materials and then condense it into some sort of collection vessel. Split the oil from the hydrolat (the water containing other lovely properties) and bob's your uncle. Sounds easy in theory but I've never tried it.

I would get a good book about the subject - some oils can potentially be quite toxic if mishandled - and not all plants are usable (presumably for this reason). Julia Lawless Encyclopaedia of essential oils is a fairly good, basic starting book, or Shirley Price Aromatherapy Workbook.

[Hernaic Tom]

I've never heard of a Buddleia essential oil. As it's so prolific I would imagine it would be quite common if it were of any therapeutic use.

Yeah, good point! Also, I think the scent compounds, whatever they are, might be quite volatile (because you can smell Buddleia from a long way away) and short lived (Because cut Buddleia flowers do not smell for long).

Thanks for the advice!