Best Method For Capturing Lavender Essential Oils

flowerpower *

Would it be best to place crushed dried lavender leaves in alcohol (vodka) to make a tincture or in oil to make an oil extraction to capture the scent properties?

annbeck62

If you are trying to make a true essential oil they are using steam distilled. To capture the scent and medicinal properties both should work and which is better probably depends on what your trying to make. For example a salve or lotion you'd want to use oil. A room spray, etc. use alcohol. Hope that helps :)

Torey

You won't get as strong a scent if you are making an infused oil or tincture as you do with an essential oil. I have made a lavender infused oil before with dried lavender flowers and while it did smell like lavender, it didn't come close to the scent of an essential oil. I have never tried to tincture it but I would imagine it would be a similar scent to the oil. Not sure if you would get much scent using the leaves.

Following is a link to the Herbal Academy for instructions on how to make a lavender infused oil. It says that the infused oil smells similar to an essential oil. Maybe they were using a different variety of lavender that I was. There are over 45 different species of lavender and many more varietals. Some are much stronger than others.

https://theherbalacademy.com/lavender-infused-oil-recipe-aka-heaven-in-a-bottle/

Torey

@flowerpower *

I just love synchronicity!

Kami McBride just posted a link to a video and an e-book on making lavender infused oil.

https://healingherbaloils.com/video-lavender

flowerpower *

Thanks for the suggestions. @torey yes, synchronicity happens a lot. I have a lavender plant in a pot and found to my surprise that the leaves are heavily scented, but the flowers are only faintly scented. In fact, I may have killed the plant by frosting it but I brought it inside to revive. Meanwhile I broke the stems with the browned leaves off the plant. I do not yet have a steam distillation setup, although I have some of the components for a home brewed one. I would like to get a glassware setup sometime.

@annbeck62 That makes sense. I usually dilute the essential oil with oil. I am also thinking of using the lavender tincture with baths. Maybe I will try both methods.