How to Obtain Essential Oils From Plants and Fruits
While it is important to note that essential oil extraction is unique to every plant, in general, Mayan's Secret essential oils are extracted using one of three methods: steam distillation, cold pressed, or solvent extraction.
Cold pressed extraction is used exclusively with citrus fruits because it is a way of extracting oil from the outermost layer of the fruit’s peel. The fruit is passed across sharp rasping cylinders that abrade the surface of the peel to break open small essential oil-containing sacs. Water is then sprayed over the fruit to collect the essential oil. The resulting watery mixture is then filtered and centrifuged to separate the essential oil from the water.
Steam Distillation is the most common method for collecting essential oils. Steam distillation, water is boiled and the resulting steam passes through the plant material. The steam carries the essential oil from the plant into a collecting tube, where the steam is cooled and condensed back into water. Because essential oils are lipid soluble, they are easily separated from the water. Cold Press is a method that doesn’t involve heat.
Solvent Extraction can be used on every type of plant material, but is most commonly used on flowers that are too fragile to endure the conditions required for steam distillation. The plant material is washed with a solvent to dissolve out the fragrant compounds. The resulting mixture is then filtered to remove the plant material, and then the solvent is removed using vacuum distillation. The yield of this process is a thick, waxy material..
A common absolute extracted by this method would be Jasmine.
