Posted on March 8, 2010.
Is there an easy way of distilling the essential oil of leaves of plants, especially the patchouli? I am looking for an easy way to draw the oils of patchouli leaves from a plant of patchouli at home. Any ideas out there? And is there a difference in the things you buy vs. make your own?
Have you seen how doctors sometimes have small bowls of grinding palvize medicine? Maybe as a process that might work.
Take a plastic bucket and put the leaves in it. Take a large wooden stick with a rounded tip and crush the leaves into a paste.
... I Geuss the next step would be to compress the dough, if all the oil is ousted. In this way, reminds me of a simular process people use to make apple cider. They squeeze the juice of apples with a giant compressor.
Idea # 2. Take the leaves and make tea. Boil leaves in water for some time. Boil all this until the oil is just the left.
Anyway, hope this gives you some ideas.
It's possible that store to buy patchouli oil may contain chemicals. It is common for plants grown commercially spreyed by pesticides and artificial fertilers. These chemicals would be greatly obsorbed in plants / oil.
If you grow your own herbs patchouli, you can choose what happens to them. Personally, I like nature and companion planting fertilizer. If you grow your natural plant / oil does not contain chemicals. That's the difference.
Check out these links to learn how to distill essential oils.
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Essential-Oi ...
http://www.heartmagic.com/EssentialDisti ...
http://www.floragenics.com/products.htm
http://essentialoils.org/
