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Distillation Process
Essential oils are highly concentrated, volatile oils that are extracted from aromatic plants. Their use dates back to ancient times, and their wide variety of therapeutic, medicinal and culinary uses has ensured their continued popularity. About 700 different kinds of plants contain useful essential oils, and there are several methods employed to extract them, the most common of which is steam distillation. This is the method which we use on Provenance farm to produce our high quality Rose Geranium and Lavender oils.
When the plants reach a certain level of maturity, they are harvested and packed into the distillation plant which is completely sealed. Water in a tank is heated to boiling point and the steam is then directed to the base of the cylinder where the plant material is packed. The steam cannot escape so it is forced through the plant material, exiting through a pipe at the top of the cylinder carrying with it the oil that has mingled with the steam, then on to a cooling condenser. As the steam cools and returns to it's water state, it dribbles into the seperator where the oil, being lighter than water, bounces to the top. The oil is then drawn off and the water below it, called the hydrosol, is drained into a container to be used as distilled water in our body care products.
