Make Aroma Oils At Home: Easy, Natural Recipes

Aromatherapy oils are a great way to make your home smell nice, improve your mood, and help you relax. While you can buy pre-made oils, making your own at home is a fun and rewarding process that allows you to create unique fragrances. The traditional method for making essential oils at home is through a process called oil infusion, which involves choosing a base oil and infusing it with the scent of flowers, herbs, or spices. This can be done using a crockpot, stovetop, or even just by letting the ingredients sit in a jar for a few days. For those looking to invest more time and money into the process, a home still can be purchased or built to create higher-quality oils through steam distillation.

Choosing the right herbs for an oil infusion

When it comes to scented flowers, you can use petals from roses, carnations, frangipani, hyacinth, lavender, violets, marigolds, and many others. If you want to create a unique blend, feel free to mix and match different flowers, herbs, and spices. However, it's crucial to research the properties, benefits, and possible side effects of the herbs you plan to use before beginning the infusion process.

For the best results, it's recommended to use dry herbs instead of fresh ones. Dry herbs are more concentrated and less likely to cause spoilage due to their lower moisture content. They also have a longer shelf life and can yield a more potent infusion.

When preparing your herbs, always chop or crush the leaves to release their scent before adding them to the oil. This will ensure that you get the most flavour out of your infusion.

The process of enfleurage

Enfleurage is a traditional process of extracting scents from flowers, originating in 18th-century France. This method is used to create solid perfumes, body butters, and floral lotions. There are two types of enfleurage: cold and hot.

Cold Enfleurage:

Cold enfleurage uses a large glass plate, or chassis, which is smeared with a layer of animal fat such as lard or tallow. The botanical material, typically petals or whole flowers, is then placed on the fat, allowing their scent to diffuse into it over 1-3 days. This process is repeated with fresh botanicals until the fat is saturated with fragrance.

Hot Enfleurage:

In hot enfleurage, solid fats are heated, and botanical matter is stirred into them. The spent botanicals are strained and replaced with fresh ones repeatedly until the fat is saturated with scent. This is the oldest known method for preserving plant fragrances.

Once the fat is saturated with fragrance in either method, it is called "enfleurage pomade". This pomade can be sold as is, or further processed to extract the fragrant molecules. This is done by washing the pomade with ethyl alcohol, separating the alcohol from the fat, and allowing the alcohol to evaporate, leaving behind the pure botanical fragrance.

How to make essential oils without a still

While making essential oils at home is possible, it is a complex process that requires specific equipment and a lot of plant material. If you are serious about making essential oils, you may want to consider investing in or building your own still. However, if you are looking for a more beginner-friendly and traditional approach, you can try the following methods that do not require a still. Please note that these methods will not produce high-quality essential oils, and the oils collected may not be suitable for medicinal or therapeutic use.

Crockpot Method:

• Place a large handful of gently dried plant material into a crockpot.
• Fill the crockpot with distilled water, leaving about an inch of space at the top.
• Cook on low heat for 24-36 hours.
• Turn off the crockpot and leave the lid open.
• Cover the crockpot with a piece of cheesecloth and let it sit in a place out of direct sunlight for a week.
• After a week, carefully remove any oils that have collected on the surface of the water and transfer them into an amber or blue glass jar.
• Leave the jar open for another week, covered by the cloth, to allow any remaining water to evaporate.
• Seal the jar or bottle tightly and store the essential oil for no more than 12 months.

Stovetop Method:

• Place a large handful of gently dried plant material into a porous mesh bag.
• Put the bag into a regular pot on the stovetop and add boiling water, ensuring the water covers the bag.
• Simmer the plant material for at least 24 hours, adding more water as needed.
• Remove or strain the oil that collects on the surface of the water.
• Follow the same instructions as the crockpot method to evaporate excess water and store the essential oil.

Oil Infusion:

This method does not involve distillation and is suitable for beginners. It will give you fragrant results, although not as strong as distilled essential oils.

• Choose a pale-colored oil with a mild scent, such as olive oil, jojoba oil, safflower oil, almond oil, or canola oil.
• Use fresh herbs, flowers, or spices. Chop the leaves, crush the spices, and use only the petals of scented flowers.
• Place the plant material into a clean glass jar and cover it with the oil.
• Seal the jar and shake well. Leave it aside for 24 hours to a few days, depending on your desired strength.
• After steeping, strain the oil and discard the plant material.
• Test the aroma of your homemade essential oil. If you prefer a stronger scent, repeat the process with a new batch of plant material.
• When you are satisfied with the fragrance, store the essential oil in a dark glass container, sealing it tightly and keeping it away from sunlight.

Crockpot method for making essential oils

The Crockpot method is a great way to make essential oils at home without any fancy equipment or chemicals. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to do it:

• Place a large handful of gently dried plant material into your Crockpot. You can use a variety of plants, such as herbs (peppermint, rosemary, thyme), flower petals (rose, lavender), citrus rinds, or spices (cinnamon, ginger).
• Fill the Crockpot with distilled water, leaving about an inch of space at the top. Stir well to ensure the plant material is evenly covered.
• Place the lid upside down on the Crockpot. This allows the steam to condense and drip back into the pot instead of evaporating out.
• Simmer the mixture on low heat for 24-36 hours. Then, turn off the Crockpot and leave the lid open for a week. Cover the pot with a piece of cheesecloth to keep out dust and insects.
• After a week, carefully skim any oils that have collected on the surface of the water. Transfer the oils into an amber or blue glass jar.
• Leave the jar open, covered with the cheesecloth, for another week to allow any remaining water to evaporate.
• Seal the jar tightly and store your essential oil in a cool, dark place. Use it within 2-3 weeks, as the oil may develop mold due to lingering plant material.

Tips for the Crockpot Method:

• Fresh plant material contains more oils than dried material, so you'll get a higher yield of essential oil by using fresh plants. However, using dried herbs helps prevent mold growth.
• To maintain the quality of your oil, avoid overheating. Keep the temperature between 100 and 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
• If you don't have a Crockpot, you can use a regular pot on the stovetop. Place the plant material in a porous mesh bag and simmer it in boiling water for at least 24 hours.

Stovetop method for making essential oils

Making essential oils at home is a great way to save money and ensure you know exactly what's in your oils. The stovetop method is one of the most common ways to make essential oils at home. Here is a step-by-step guide to making essential oils using the stovetop method:

This method uses steam distillation to separate the essential oils from the plant material. The process is simple but can be time-consuming, and it requires a lot of plant material to yield a small amount of oil.

Materials Needed:

• A large metal bowl
• A small metal bowl
• A three-part steamer pot (commonly used for seafood)
• A glass container
• Ice
• Plant material of your choice (fresh herbs, flowers, citrus peels, etc.)
• Distilled water

Step-by-Step Instructions:

• Fill the large metal bowl with water and freeze it.
• Fill the bottom of the steamer pot with water.
• Fill the second layer of the steamer pot with your chosen plant material. For example, if you want to make lavender oil, fill this layer with lavender flowers and stems.
• Place a small metal bowl in the center of the top layer of the steamer pot.
• Put the frozen large metal bowl on top of the small metal bowl.
• Turn on the stove to high heat and let the water in the bottom pot boil. You want to boil out 99% of the water, which will take about 3 hours. Ensure you do not boil the water completely out, as this will destroy any oil you try to make.
• Once the ice in the large bowl melts and starts to get warm, replace the water with cold water and continue boiling.
• After boiling out almost all the water, turn off the heat and remove the large and small metal bowls.
• The water in the small bowl is called "hydrosol." Let it cool, then pour it into a glass container.
• The oils will float to the top of the hydrosol since they are lighter than water. You can separate the two by freezing the mixture. The hydrosol will freeze solid, while the oils will remain liquid and can be poured off the top.

Tips for the Stovetop Method:

• This method works best with fresh plant material rather than dried. However, dried herbs will still yield some oil.
• Use at least 3-4 cups of plant material, which will result in a few teaspoons of essential oil.
• Chop or crush the plant material to increase the surface area and allow more oil to escape.
• Use distilled water to avoid bacteria or contaminants that may spoil your oil.
• You can also add essential oils to stovetop potpourri for a stronger scent and aromatherapy benefits.

The stovetop method for making essential oils is a simple and cost-effective way to create your own natural remedies and fragrances at home. It requires some time and experimentation, but the results can be rewarding.

Frequently asked questions