Do you have trouble telling the difference between an essential oil and a natural oil? Are you lost when you hear about lavender essential oil and lavender hydrosol? If so, the following details will help you figure it all out.
A natural oil is a fatty substance extracted by pressure from oleaginous plant organs, such as seeds (sweet almond, hemp), nuts (macadamia) or sometimes pulp (avocado, coconut). Several pressure methods can be used to obtain the oil, but to best preserve the fatty acids and vitamins that make up the oil, first cold pressure is the optimal choice. This method is applied by mechanical pressure at low temperature.
Maceration is used for plants that offer health benefits but don’t produce oil. These include Arnica, Marigold (Calendula) or St. John's Wort flowers. The macerated oil is then simply obtained by macerating the plant organ in a basic natural oil. Sunflower or olive oils are most often used.
Essential oils are essences extracted from certain parts of aromatic plants by steam distillation, i.e. leaves, flowers, seeds, bark, roots. Although they are qualified as oils, they are an essence and not a fatty substance.
Distillation produces two liquids:
Note: citrus essences (lemon, sweet orange) are not obtained by steam distillation, but through mechanical pressure of the peel.
What to Remember:
Plant Extracts |
Definition |
Common Cosmetic Uses |
Natural Oils (Face & Body Oils) |
Fatty substance extracted from oleaginous plant organs by mechanical pressure |
Massage, skin and hair care, cosmetic preparations |
Macerated Oils |
Plant flowers macerated in basic natural oil |
Massage, skin and hair care, cosmetic preparations |
Essence extracted from an aromatic plant through steam distillation |
Diluted in a natural oil for skin and hair care, atmospheric diffusion. Several precautions may be necessary before use |
|
Hydrosols (Floral Waters) |
Water used to distill the essential oil, which contains less than 5% of aromatic molecules |
Facial cleansing and toning lotions, refreshing fragrance water |
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