Heidi Norton
There are several methods to extract fragrances from flowers, including distillation, solvent extraction, expression, sieving, and enfleurage. Enfleurage is a traditional method that uses fat to absorb the fragrant oils from flowers. The process involves spreading a layer of fat, such as animal fat or solid plant oil, on a glass plate and placing flower petals on top. The fat absorbs the fragrance, and the scented fat, known as a pomade, is then scraped off the plate. To create a perfume, alcohol is added to the pomade to dissolve the fragrant oils, and the mixture is then bottled. Another method is solvent extraction, where flowers are placed in a rotating drum and coated with a solvent such as benzene or petroleum, which dissolves the plants and leaves behind a waxy substance containing the oils. The substance is then dissolved in ethyl alcohol, which is burned off, resulting in perfume oil. Distillation is also a common technique, where raw materials are heated, and the fragrant compounds are collected through the condensation of the distilled vapour.
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What You'll Learn
- Enfleurage: Using fat to absorb fragrant oils from flowers
- Solvent extraction: Using a solvent like benzene to dissolve flowers and extract oil
- Distillation: Heating flowers to evaporate essential oils, then collecting them
- Expression: Pressing flowers and then burying them to drive out water
- Tincturing: Using alcohol as a solvent to create a botanical extraction
Enfleurage: Using fat to absorb fragrant oils from flowers
Enfleurage is a traditional method and one of the oldest ways of extracting oils from flowers using fat. It is derived from the French word 'enfleurer', which means to saturate with the perfume of flowers. This method is limited to flowers that continue to release fragrant oils for many hours after being picked, such as jasmine, gardenia, tuberose, lilac, peony, violets, and roses.
To perform enfleurage, you will need two large dinner plates, fat (such as coconut oil, palm oil shortening, or vegetable shortening), and flowers. Melt the fat and pour it into both plates to a depth of 1/2 inch. Allow the fat to cool and solidify, then cut several crisscross patterns across the fat on both plates.
Shake two to three inches of flower petals over the fat on one plate. Place the second plate upside down over the first plate so that the petals are covered in fat on both sides. Tape the plates together tightly, ensuring there are no air gaps between the rims. Set the plates aside in a safe, warm place for two days.
After 48 hours, open the plates and remove the wilted flowers. Add fresh flowers to the plates, tape them back together, and let them sit for another 48 hours. Repeat this process six to eight times until the fat is strongly scented. You have now created a fragrant pomade.
The enfleurage pomade can be used as a base for solid or oil-based perfumes or body butter. It can also be further extracted for alcohol-based perfumes by washing the pomade in alcohol to draw the fragrant molecules into the alcohol. This technique is known as tincturing, which uses alcohol as a solvent to create a botanical extraction.
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Solvent extraction: Using a solvent like benzene to dissolve flowers and extract oil
Solvent extraction is a method used to extract essential oils from delicate flowers such as roses, jasmine, violet, and mimosa. This process involves using oil-soluble solvents like hexane, di-methylene-chloride, acetone, and petroleum ether. Benzene, a volatile solvent derived from gum benzoin, can also be used for this purpose.
Step 1: Prepare the Flowers
Pick the flowers early in the morning, as the fragrance is usually more intense at this time. Remove the petals and use your fingers or a pestle and mortar to crush and bruise them.
Step 2: Immerse the Flowers in the Solvent
Place the crushed petals onto perforated trays in an extraction vessel. Immerse the trays in the solvent (benzene). The art of solvent extraction lies in using the correct number of solvent washes and timing the extraction accurately.
Step 3: Separation
After the extraction, the solvent needs to be removed. This can be done through distillation or evaporation, leaving behind a waxy mass called a "concrete." This concrete is a mixture of essential oil, waxes, resins, and other lipophilic (oil-soluble) plant material.
Step 4: Further Extraction (Optional)
The concrete contains fragrant and non-fragrant compounds. If you want to isolate the fragrant oil, you can use another solvent, such as ethyl alcohol, which only dissolves the fragrant low-molecular-weight compounds. This process will leave you with a more concentrated and pure fragrant oil.
Step 5: Purification (Optional)
The absolute (the oil after the alcohol is removed) may be further processed to remove any impurities that are still present from the solvent extraction.
It is important to note that solvent extraction, especially with chemicals like benzene, requires careful handling and a good understanding of the process. Benzene, in particular, is a toxic chemical that requires specific safety precautions. Additionally, the use of solvents may impact the final aroma of the extract.
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Distillation: Heating flowers to evaporate essential oils, then collecting them
Distillation is a common technique for extracting aromatic compounds from flowers and other plant materials. This method involves heating the raw material, which can include the flowers, leaves, wood, bark, roots, seeds, or peel, and then collecting the fragrant compounds through the condensation of the distilled vapour. The distilled products are known as essential oils or ottos.
To extract fragrance through distillation, you will need to gather the flower petals, as this is the most fragrant part of the flower. You can use any type of flower, but keep in mind that some flowers may produce a more intense smell than others. For example, in one experiment, roses produced a more obvious scent than lilies and carnations.
Once you have collected your petals, use your fingers or a pestle and mortar to crush and bruise them before placing them in a jar or any other airtight container. Try to fill the jar as much as possible with petals. Then, add a known volume of oil, such as olive oil, corn oil, or sesame oil, to the petals. The oil will help to absorb the fragrance from the flowers and allow you to observe how the concentration of flower oil affects the scent. Make sure to record the volume of oil used.
After adding the oil, seal the jar and shake it to ensure that all the petals are coated. Then, store the jar in a dark place for 24 hours. During this time, the oil will absorb the scent of the flowers. After 24 hours, remove the jar from the dark and open the lid. Use a strainer to separate the flower petals from the oil, collecting the oil in another container. Press down on the petals against the strainer to extract as much of the scented oil as possible.
It is important to note that the process of distillation involves heating the flowers to high temperatures, which can alter the odour of the aromatic compounds. Therefore, the resulting fragrance may differ from the original scent of the flowers. Additionally, always prioritise safety and avoid consuming any part of the flower oil during the experiment.
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Expression: Pressing flowers and then burying them to drive out water
Expression, in the context of fragrance extraction, refers to the process of pressing flowers and then burying them to drive out water. This traditional method has been used for centuries, particularly in ancient Egyptian culture, and it is still relevant today.
The process of expression involves pressing the plant material and then burying it in unglazed ceramic vessels, allowing the water to diffuse through the ceramic while retaining the larger essential oils. This technique was used to create the lotus oil found in Tutankhamen's tomb, which retained its scent for 3000 years.
To extract fragrance from flowers using expression, one must first collect the flowers and remove their petals. The petals are then crushed or bruised using a pestle and mortar before being placed in a jar or airtight container. The next step is to add oil, such as olive oil or corn oil, ensuring that all petals are covered. The mixture is then shaken and sealed, left in a dark place for 24 hours, allowing the oil to absorb the floral scent. After this period, the petals are strained, and the scented oil is collected and stored.
While expression is a simple and traditional method, it may not be suitable for all flowers. Some flowers have delicate chemical components that are easily affected by high heat, and other methods like enfleurage or solvent extraction may be more appropriate.
Enfleurage is an artisanal perfumery method that uses fat, such as coconut oil, to absorb the fragrance of fresh flowers. This process can be done at home and does not require special equipment. Flowers are placed on plates coated with fat, allowing the fat to absorb the fragrant oils. The fat is then scraped off and placed in bottles, with alcohol added to create a fragrant solution. This method is ideal for flowers that continue to release their fragrant oils for hours after being picked, such as jasmine and tuberose.
Solvent extraction, on the other hand, involves using solvents like benzene or petroleum to dissolve the plants, leaving a waxy substance containing the oils. This substance is then dissolved in ethyl alcohol, burning off the alcohol to obtain the perfume oil. This method is commonly used for flowers like jasmine, iris, and labdanum.
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Tincturing: Using alcohol as a solvent to create a botanical extraction
Tincturing is a process of creating a botanical extraction using alcohol as a solvent. Tinctures are concentrated herbal extracts that have alcohol as the solvent. While all tinctures are extracts, not all extracts are tinctures. Alcohol must be the solvent used to extract the herbal properties. If you are using vinegar, glycerine, water, or any menstruum (solvent) other than alcohol, your preparation is an extract, but not a tincture.
Any spirit may be used as a solvent, but many herbalists prefer something neutral like vodka so the taste of the herb comes through. Tinctures can be made with fresh or dried flowers, leaves, roots, barks, or berries. For instance, dried stevia leaf, vanilla beans, and dried mushrooms. Tinctures are dietary supplements in a concentrated, shelf-stable, and liquid form.
The process of tincturing involves gathering the useful parts of the herb(s), such as the berries, leaves, roots, or bark, and removing any unwanted parts. The herbs are then washed and coarsely chopped and placed into an airtight jar. For fresh herbs, a 1-1 plant-to-alcohol ratio is used, while a 1-4 ratio is used for dried herbs. The concentration of alcohol depends on the plant’s water-soluble ingredients. Seal the jar for 6 or more weeks to give the alcohol time to absorb the active components of the herbs. Shake the jar occasionally. After opening the jar, strain the plant parts from the liquid.
Alcohol is often the preferred solvent as it can extract components such as resins and alkaloids that are not water-soluble. Solvent concentrations of 25-60% are common, but may run as high as 90%. In chemistry, a tincture is a solution that has ethanol as its solvent. In herbal medicine, alcoholic tinctures are made with various ethanol concentrations, which should be at least 20% alcohol for preservation purposes.
It is important to note that ethanol has a tendency to denature some organic compounds, reducing or destroying their effectiveness. This can also have undesirable effects when extracting botanical constituents, such as polysaccharides. Additionally, alcohol can have damaging effects on some aromatic compounds. Therefore, while tincturing is a popular method for creating botanical extractions, it is important to consider the potential impact of alcohol on the specific compounds being extracted.
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Frequently asked questions
There are a few different types of alcohol that can be used to extract fragrance from flowers. The most common method is enfleurage, which uses fat to absorb the fragrant oils from flowers. The fat is then dissolved in an alcoholic solvent, such as ethyl alcohol, to create perfume oil. Other types of alcohol that can be used include rubbing alcohol, vodka, and grape alcohol.
Many different types of flowers can be used to extract fragrance, including jasmine, rose, lilac, iris, peony, and violets. It is best to use freshly picked flowers, as the fragrance of the petals begins to fade once the flower has bloomed.
There are several different methods of extracting fragrance from flowers, including enfleurage, solvent extraction, distillation, and expression. The enfleurage method involves using fat to absorb the fragrant oils from flowers. The flowers are placed on a layer of fat and then covered with another layer of fat, creating a "sandwich" of sorts. This process is repeated with fresh flowers until the fat is strongly scented. The fragrant fat, or pomade, is then dissolved in an alcoholic solvent to create perfume oil.
The equipment needed to extract fragrance from flowers will depend on the method used. For enfleurage, all you need are dinner plates, fat (such as lard or vegetable shortening), and a container to store the finished product. For solvent extraction, a rotating drum is needed to coat the flowers with a solvent. For distillation, an alembic (distillation apparatus) is needed to heat the raw materials and collect the fragrant compounds.
