How Lavender Essential Oil is Distilled at Liebe Lavender
We steam distill our lavender essential oil right on our farm early in the summer using the following steps:
- Harvesting: Lavender flowers are typically harvested when they are in full bloom, usually in the morning when the concentration of aromatic compounds is highest.
- Loading the Still: The harvested lavender flowers are loaded into a distillation apparatus called a still. The still consists of a boiler where water is heated, a chamber where the plant material is placed (often called the "still pot" or "boiling chamber"), and a condenser where the steam carrying the essential oil is cooled and collected.
- Adding Water: Water is added to the still, usually below the level of the plant material. The amount of water added is crucial as it affects the efficiency of the distillation process.
- Heating: The water in the boiler is heated, creating steam. As the steam rises, it passes through the plant material in the still chamber, causing the essential oil and other aromatic compounds to evaporate.
- Steam Distillation: The steam, carrying the essential oil vapor, rises through the plant material, rupturing the oil glands and releasing the volatile compounds. The steam and vaporized essential oil then travel through a tube leading to the condenser.
- Condensation: In the condenser, the steam is cooled, causing it to condense back into liquid form. The essential oil, being less dense than water, floats on top and is collected separately.
- Separation: Once the distillation process is complete, the essential oil is separated from the water, which is known as the hydrosol or floral water. This water may also contain some of the aromatic compounds from the lavender.
- Storage: The collected lavender essential oil is typically stored in dark glass bottles away from light and heat to preserve its potency and quality.
This process allows for the extraction of the aromatic compounds present in lavender flowers, resulting in pure lavender essential oil.