how do you extract essintial oils for lavender?

Question

I would like to take my lavender plants and get the essential oils out of it. I need to know how to do this.

Answer 1

Home distillation equipment can be expensive. But worth it if you are serious about making your own essential oils and hydrosols. It is surprising how much plant material is required to get a small amount of oil. CH Imports sells home hydrosol stills. The idea is simple, make steam and condense it. The plant material is stuffed into a pot with a tight fitting lid and a release for the steam that directs the steam into a vessel where is is collected and cooled. This water is the hydrosol and the oil floats on the top. If you are handy you can make one. Be aware of gravity needed to deliver the steam and the heat generated and the distance needed between heat source and collection container.

Answer 2

Essential oils are usually extracted from plants by steam distillation. The oil-giving part of the plant is placed inside a stainless steel distillation vat and the extreme pressure of the steam around the vat breaks down the plant material, releasing the essential oil from the plant cells. When cooled, the oils separate naturally from the water. The residual water is used for cosmetic purposes and is known as "floral water". For the most part, essential oils, if packaged properly in dark glass and stored in a cool, dry area, will retain their aroma for years. The quality of an essential oil depends primarily on the growing conditions of the plant: soil, weather and the timing of the harvest will all influence the fragrance, color and potency of the extracted essential oil.
For more info check out these websites:
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Essential-Oils
http://treetotem.com/printeressential.htm

Answer 3

You can visit The Essential Oil Company. They sell all kinds of equipment for distilling essential oils and hydrosols. They sell small scale and commercial distillers.
http://www.essentialoil.com/collections/distillation-equipment
Distilling Lavender
http://www.essentialoil.com/pages/distilling-lavender