Enfleurage extraction is used to take oil from the more delicate flowers, like jasmine and tuberose.

First the flower petals are laid out on trays containing vegetable fat that has no aroma, the fat in turns soaks up the essential oils. The flower petals are changed every few days until there is enough of the oils to process. Alcohol is then poured over them to separate the oil from the fat. The alcohol evaporates and the essential oil remains behind.

This method is used on the daintiest of plants and flowers. A chemical solvent soaks into the plant materials, pulling out the compounds containing the scent. What is left is plant matter called a “concrete”. This in turn is soaked in alcohol to get rid of the solvent, and the remaining alcohol evaporates. Using solvent extraction costs less than enfleurage, but may leave the oils more appropriate for use in perfume rather than aromatherapy. The problem is it’s unclear as to whether all of the solvent is removed. Alcohol, on the other hand, seems to pose no threat.

There are some newer and more modern extraction methods that some in the industry are starting to prefer over distillation.

For tough plant material such as bark, roots, and seeds, turbodistillation works well. The plant matter is left in water to soak and at the same time steam is pushed through it. The water is also recycled through it over and over.

In the future this extraction method may be the choice for most extractions. The plants go into a stainless steel tank and carbon dioxide is injected to build up pressure. This in turn produces the carbon dioxide in liquid form which becomes the extracting solvent. As soon as the pressure is eliminated, the carbon dioxide becomes gas again and there is no remaining residue.