WHY dōTERRA

The Science Behind Essential Oils

Support for Body and Mind, a Holistic Work for Your Lifestyle. Essential oils are powerful and work through the direct connection between smell and emotions and affect the emotional center of our brain, the limbic system, making them unique and powerful. These oils can have a direct, positive impact on your mood and health and are an important addition to a healthy lifestyle. Together we will discuss how oils can support you in your daily routine and how to use them effectively - even when you are having a down day. This is how you build a lifestyle that makes you physically and mentally strong and balances your life.

 

Each dōTERRA essential oil is also carefully and thoroughly tested using the strict CPTG Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade® quality protocol. Experienced essential oil users will immediately recognize the superior quality standard for naturally safe, purely effective, essential oils from dōTERRA.Each dōTERRA essential oil is also carefully and thoroughly tested using the strict CPTG Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade® quality protocol. Experienced essential oil users will immediately recognize the superior quality standard for naturally safe, purely effective, dōTERRA essential oils.
While there is a science to the distillation of essential oils, it is also an art. Distillers not only rely on years of experience, they also use modern technologies and techniques.
The most common method for extracting essential oils is a low-heat steam distillation process. In this process, steam is circulated through the plant material under pressure. The essential oils are liberated from the plant and carried away by the steam. As the steam cools, the water and oils naturally separate and the oil is collected. To ensure oil extract of the highest quality with the correct chemical composition, temperature and pressure must be carefully controlled. Too little heat or pressure and the oil will not be released; too much, and the composition and potency of the oil will be affected.

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While there is a science to the distillation of essential oils, it is also an art. Distillers not only rely on years of experience, they also use modern technologies and techniques.The most common method for extracting essential oils is a low-heat steam distillation process. In this process, steam is circulated through the plant material under pressure. The essential oils are liberated from the plant and carried away by the steam. When the steam cools, the water and oils naturally separate and the oil is collected. To ensure oil extract of the highest quality with the correct chemical composition, temperature and pressure must be carefully controlled. Too little heat or pressure and the oil will not be released; too much, and the composition and potency of the oil will be affected.

Steam distillation

Steam distillation is the most common way to extract aromatic compounds (essential oil) from a plant. During the steam distillation process, steam passes through the plant material. The combination of heated steam and gentle pressure causes the essential oil to be released from microscopic protective sacs. As the vapor mixture passes through a condenser and cools, it yields a layer of oil and a layer of water. The essential oil rises to the top and is separated from the hydrosol (floral water) and collected.
Some have asked about the difference between first distillations compared to complete distillations. The temperature for steam distillation is usually between 140-212 degrees Fahrenheit. Because different plants require different pressures, times and temperatures, using this particular distillation method allows the temperature to be adjusted based on the plant type, making it a very effective and precise way to obtain the purest compounds.

Pressing
Unlike steam distillation, expression, sometimes called "cold-pressed," does not involve heat. In this process, oil is extracted from the product under mechanical pressure. dōTERRA uses expression to extract all of its citrus oils, such as: wild orange, lemon, lime, bergamot and grapefruit.
Good distillation requires attention to the uniqueness of pressure, temperature, time and harvesting, each of which can be as diverse as the plants themselves. A poor distillation process can alter or destroy the necessary aromatic compounds that make up the essential oil, leaving a substance far from its intended purpose and something that would not be used to support health and wellness. For this reason, the best distillation artisans dedicate their efforts and work to only a few selected plants. This focused effort develops solid knowledge and experience, ensuring congruence between the plant's oil chemistry and the distilled form.