How to Make Your Own 
Essential Oil

The following is information on how to make your own essential oil as well as basic facts on how an essential oils is made in general.

There are three common ways to produce essential oils. These include: distillation, expression, and extraction.

Three methods of Steam Distillation:

• Water: Plant material is put into a container of boiling water. The steam is collected and the oils are separated from the water.
• Water & Steam: Plant material is placed in a container. Boiling water and steam are put around and pushed through the plant material. The steam is collected and the oils are separated from the water.
• Steam: Plant material is placed in a container. Steam is pushed through the plant material. The steam is collected and the ols are separated from the water.

Expression or Cold Pressed:

• Organically grown citrus fruit rinds are pressed mechanically to release their oils.
• Expressed oils are not technically essential oils.

Extraction:

• A solvent, such as hexane, is used to extract the oil and create a concrete (a mixture of essential oil, resins, waxes, and other plant material).
• A second solvent, such as ethyl alcohol, is used to extract the oil from the concrete to create an absolute.
• The alcohol is removed by distillation, creating the oil.
• Absolutes are not really essential oils, but essences.

The Quality will suffer if you choose
to make your own essential oils

While it is possible to make your own essential oils, the quality will suffer. Distillation is an art - the pressure and temperature levels have to be monitored perfectly so as to not destroy the value of the oil. Learn why it's important to use 100% pure genuine essential oils.

Another thing to keep in mind is that it's actually much cheaper in both time and money to purchase essential oils then to make your own essential oils. Making them can be extremely expensive - it can take hundreds and even thousands of pounds of plant material to make a pound of essential oil. Learn about Young Living's Seed-to-Seal Process.

Now, when you make your own essential oil there are a few things to keep in mind:

1. The plant material you use must be clean and free of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and other chemicals.
2. The final product will not be as potent as essential oils you can purchase from Young Living.
3. You can use fresh or dried plant material.
4. You can use herbs, spices, flower petals, or citrus fruit rinds.
5. Always store essential oils in dark, glass containers in a cool, dark place.

What are you making them for?

In preparing to make your own essential oil, you will need to determine what you will be using the essential oil for. You will need to decide which method to use or if you should simply purchase them.

If you want 100% Pure essential oils you will need to purchase them from Young Living Essential Oils. (Why Young Living?) This is especially important if you are going to use them for any of the following reasons:

• Body System Support
• Aromatherapy
• Cooking

However, you can make your own essential oils for the following uses:

• Soap or Bath Salts - use methods 1 or 2.
• Perfume - use methods 1 through 4.
• Potpourri or Candles - use any of the 6 methods.

How to Make Your Own Essential Oils

These are all primitive methods of distilling or extracting the oil out of the plant material. The heat used in the distilling methods below will damage the essential oil and will lessen some of the benefits from the essential oils.

The oils obtained from the extraction methods below 
will not be 100% pure. 

Please use caution when using these essential oils. 

DO NOT INGEST. 

The methods are listed in order of the quality of essential oil you'll get (best first).

Method #1
Place plant material into a crock pot filled with distilled water. Cook on low for 24 hours. Leave crock pot open and allow it to sit for a week. Collect the oil off the surface of the water and put it into a dark, glass container. Cover with a piece of cloth and allow it to sit for a week to evaporate off any extra water. It will last for about 12 months.

Method #2
Place ground up plant material in a cotton or linen bag. Tie it shut and place it in a pot of distilled water. Bring water to a boil and simmer slowly for 24 hours. Collect the oil off the surface of the water (you may have to squeeze the bag) and put it into a dark, glass container. Cover with a piece of cloth and allow it to sit for a week to evaporate off any extra water. It will last for about 12 months.

Method #3
Half-fill a large glass bottle with olive oil (or almond, jojoba, or rapeseed). Cram as much plant material as possible into the bottle. Cap it and let it sit in a cool, dark place for 24 hours. Shake it. After three days strain it through cheese cloth and put liquid in a dark, glass container. (If scent is not strong enough add more plant material and repeat process.) It will last for about 6 months.

Method #4
Stir 1/2 ounce of plant material into 2 cups olive oil (or almond, jojoba, or rapeseed). Cook in crock pot on low for about 6 hours. Strain the mixture with unbleached cheese cloth and put liquid in a dark, glass container. It will last for about 6 months.

Method #5
Place 1 Tablespoon ground up plant material, 1/2 cup of olive oil (or almond, jojoba, or rapeseed), and 1/2 teaspoon of white vinegar into a small bottle (cap on). Put it in a warm place (sunny window) for three weeks. Shake it well twice a day. Strain the mixture with unbleached cheese cloth and put liquid in a dark, glass container. It will last for about 6 months.

Method #6
Soak plant material in a bottle of rubbing alcohol for two weeks (cap on). Pour it out into a wide container. Allow alcohol to evaporate. Collect the oil left in the container and put it into a dark, glass container. It will last for about 6 months. Please note that this method should NOT be consumed.

Have fun making your own essential oils!
Or go buy 100% Pure Essential Oils from Young Living!

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