How aromatic essences are obtained and which essential oil‘s are best for cosmetic use.
Oils and essence used in cosmetic products come from all over the world, they are obtained by distillation of the root, bark, stem, seed root, or flower of a plant or tree, depending on where the fragrant/remedy part is located.
There are many methods of extraction and why each extraction is so different in cosmetic products.
Distillation - This is a common technique used steam to separate the water and the fragrance oils that are collected through condensation of the distilled vapour. Killing the raw material with high heat so that the essence isn’t alive anymore.
Extraction - by solvent is achieved by placing the plant material in a container with the alcohol solvent or petroleum. The solvent penetrates the plant material and when it leaves the material the fragrant is obtained. This is good for aromatherapy but not for therapeutic applications.
Expression - this is a method where the essential oils are pressed out of the substance. For example, the oils are pressed from the skin of the fruits in this way. Expression of raw material most of the time doesn’t utilize the raw plant to its full potential, leaving a pulp like residue and not gaining the full potential of the raw product to full use and essential oil in cosmetic products.
Enfleurage - this is a method where fat is used to absorb essential oil‘s from the natural substance. It is done by placing layers of flower petals or other substances on frames that have been spread with fat. Then it is scraped from the glass with a spatula into a vessel which is continuously washed and stirred with ethanol alcohol and warmed to melt the fat. The alcohol solution then chilled causing the wax and fat to permeate out.
Maceration - this is a process using hot fat. The flower petals or other substances are plunged into hot fat, which absorbs the essential oil‘s. Aromatic essence are of different colors, feel slightly oily, or insoluble in water, and are soluble in alcohol. Gums, resins, and animal secretions are also used in this process. Look for essential oil‘s that say vegan friendly that way it will also be the most compatible when applying to skin.
Molecular Distillation - similar as distillation, but using less heat - in a process using only extremely low vacuum pressure, and for this reason it is called vacuum distillation. Molecular distillation lowers the boiling point of liquid in the molecular still and is used to separate and remove undesirable molecules such as colourants or concentrates such as fatty acids.
Organic Extracts - Atlas Rose specialize in offering some of the finest organic extracts available in our products. Using a modernized technology similar to ancient methods of enfleurage - The gentle extraction of oil from the precious flower raw material by soaking them first in vegetal fat, then using alcohol as a solvent to separate the oils from the fat. It’s extraction process uses only certified organic solvent such as fixed oils and alcohol to coax the aromatic essence out of the plant material. These oils are best use for body and skin care due to the ‘aliveness’ of the essences. Resulting in bio availability essence, extracted without added heat capturing the original plant material.