I am frequently asked whether or not it is safe to ingest essential oils. To completely answer the question it is best to describe how essential oil is extracted.
The most common method of extraction is steam distillation using a still, similar to the way moonshine is made. Plant material is added to all of the chambers of the still. The still pictured here has a “pot,” a “column,” and a “hat”. Enough room is left within each chamber to add water. For hydrodistillation, the amount of water is equal to the amount of plant material or a 1:1 ratio.
Once plant material is added, the still is placed on a burner and water is added to the still. The still is sealed so that no air can escape.
Once the still is completely sealed heat is added. As the water boils, steam rises, flows through the copper piping to a cooling chamber, pictured here. The copper piping coils along the outer edges of the cooling chamber that is constantly being filled with cool water. The steam within the copper piping condenses back into hydrolate or hydrosol as the copper piping passes through the cooling chamber. The hydrosol is then collected below the cooling chamber.
Essential oil that is extracted during this process floats on top of the hydrosol, as pictured.
In a 40-liter still more than five gallons of water can be added. For each gallon of water about half a gallon of hydrosol is produced and, depending on the plant, about 1 to 5 ml of essential oil (about 15 to 100 drops of essential oil). In this photograph the essential oil is a tiny “ring” floating on top of the hydrosol.
Another way to describe a single drop of essential oil:
12 dozen roses (12 x 12 roses) = 1 drop of oil
Would you eat 12 dozen roses or the equivalent of peppermint or rosemary or lemon or any other plant material?
Over the years I have ingested oils because the suggestion was made – a drop of peppermint on the tongue, a drop of lemon in water. After distilling and making my own hydrosol and essential oil and visually seeing how much plant material goes into a single drop of oil, I no longer ingest a single drop of oil.
The beauty of plants is the multitude of their use. Fresh lemon squeezed into a glass of water and lemon essential oil dropped into a diffuser to brighten up the room. Peppermint leaf tea to drink and peppermint essential oil in a spritz as a cooling mist for hot flashes.
Yarrow, one of my favorite medicinal plants, can be used as a compress against swelling and bruising, infused in oil (olive oil or similar) to massage tired muscles or the essential oil can be added to massage oil pain blends.
Explore with plants and have fun with essential oils.
