One of the most interesting and
fun aspects of aromatherapy is that with some reading on the subject you can
learn to mix your own formulas. We’ve
continually talked about using caution as we don’t want you to harm yourselves
or any people you may be working with. The main point about essential oils is
that each one works not only on specific parts of the body, but that they
affect each person differently.
So with a bit of knowledge and experimentation
you are sure to make some lovely blends to soothe, relax, and even heal you.
Here is more information on how to go about it.
You can actually distill plants at
home if you want to go through the entire process from start to finish. As a
refresher, distillation is the process of heating plant material, usually by
pushing high pressure steam through the chamber. The oil will separate from the
material and drip into a lower cooling chamber where the steam will condense
into cold water; the oil will float to the top to be skimmed off.
The whole
units actually resemble the pressure cookers used in home cooking for years.
They are generally made of stainless steel and come in various sizes. The lids
are tightly sealed with the help of a gasket and they come with pumps for oil
extraction. With some models you will have to buy the pump separately. Newer
distillers recycle the water as it’s collected to help the environment. The
prices are in the $900 to $5500 range.
There are a number of other types
of distillers to use at home that also vary in size and style. These are
designed to be used on your stove or a hot plate and allow you to work with
smaller quantities of plant material. They are made from heavy glass such as
that used in laboratories or even copper. Many companies also offer kits that
contain tubes, pipettes, atomizers, stirrers and vials to store your oil. The
smaller units come with separate components that hook together with tubing to
perform the various functions of heating, creating steam, circulating it
through the vegetation and finally extracting the oil. More affordable and more
practical for the home user wishing to produce smaller quantities, these units
are in the $300 range.
