Essential Oil Extractions and Classification

Extracting and Preserving Essence and Source Energy

Essential oils are the concentrated soul of the plants they come from, carrying their aroma, their essence, and their restorative gifts. For centuries, across cultures and traditions, people have turned to these oils to connect with the natural world. Each oil reflects forest wisdom itself, carrying the presence and energy of the plants into our hands and into how we care for ourselves.

Essential Oils in Chinese Medicine and Chinese Herbalism

Long before the language of chemistry, people understood plants through energy, movement, and sensation. In Classical and Traditional Chinese Medicine, essential oils weren’t viewed as mere aromatic extracts—they were seen as the concentrated life force of a plant, carrying what’s known as its Jīng (精) and Yuán Qì (原气): its essence and original vitality.*

When applied or inhaled, these essences are believed to move through the body’s energetic pathways, influencing what practitioners call the three levels of Qì (气)—three ways energy flows and supports life:

• Wèi Qì (Protective Qì) – The body’s first shield. It’s what keeps external imbalances—like cold, heat, or pathogens—from entering. Oils with distinct, clarifying aromas such as eucalyptus or ginger were believed to support immunity and clear stagnation from the body.*
• Yíng Qì (Nutritive Qì) – The energy that nourishes. It moves deeper within, circulating through the blood and organs. Oils such as lavender and sweet orange were often used to soften tension and restore calm.*
• Yuán Qì (Source Qì) – The foundation of life force itself. It’s what fuels vitality, resilience, and long-term well-being. Grounding oils like frankincense or myrrh were thought to protect and replenish this deepest reserve.*

Through this perspective, essential oils become more than aromatic tools. They are expressions of both chemistry and spirit, of the measurable and the felt. What modern science identifies as molecules, ancestral wisdom recognized as energy in motion: different paths leading to the same understanding of what it means to be well.* 

To explore these energetic layers more deeply, see The Three Levels of Qì.

Methods: Understanding Essential Oil Extraction

The method of extraction shapes not just the quality and purity of an essential oil, but its character and purpose. Each technique is chosen intentionally, guided by the plant material, the aroma you want to capture, and the phytotherapeutic qualities you hope the oil will offer. 

Learning how these methods work gives you a deeper understanding of the oil’s potential, so you can use it in ways that align with your needs and intentions.

Type One: Steam Distillation

The most traditional and time-honored method, steam distillation, gently draws out a plant’s volatile compounds:

1. Steam moves through the plant material, softly opening the oil-bearing glands.
2. The released vapors are then cooled and condensed into liquid form.
3. Finally, the mixture of essential oil and hydrosol is carefully separated.

This gentle process preserves the plant’s most delicate aromatic molecules, making it especially suited for drawing oils from flowers, leaves, and stems.*

Examples of Steam Distillation Extracts

• Eucalyptus Essential Oil (Eucalyptus globulus) – Steam distilled, capturing the sharp, cleansing scent and cooling clarity of eucalyptus leaves.
• Tea Tree Essential Oil (Melaleuca alternifolia) – Steam distilled, preserving the earthy freshness and purifying qualities of tea tree leaves.

Type Two: Cold Pressing (Expression)

Used mostly for citrus oils, cold pressing preserves the delicate, heat-sensitive compounds that give each fruit its vitality.

1. The fruit peel is gently punctured and pressed, allowing the essential oils to be released in their purest form.
2. The mixture of oil and juice is then spun in a centrifuge, separating the vibrant essence of the oil from the liquid.

Since no heat is involved, the oil keeps the bright, fresh aroma and the full, living complexity of the fruit itself.*

Examples of Cold Pressing Extracts

• Lemon Essential Oil (Citrus limon) – Cold-pressed, capturing the bright vitality and sunlit zest of citrus.
• Orange Essential Oil (Citrus sinensis) – Cold-pressed, bringing the gentle warmth and luminous sweetness of the fruit.

Type Three: Solvent Extraction

This method is often chosen for delicate flowers and resins that would lose their essence under steam distillation.

1. The plant material rests in a solvent, such as ethanol or hexane, allowing the aromatic compounds to gently dissolve.
2. Once the solvent is removed, what remains is a rich, concentrated extract.

Through further refinement, this extract becomes an absolute—deeper and richer, layered in a way that steam distilled oils rarely achieve.*

Examples of Solvent Extraction Extracts

• Rose Absolute (Rosa damascena) – Solvent extracted, carrying the deep floral aroma and serene, heart-nourishing essence of the rose.
• Jasmine Absolute (Jasminum grandiflorum) – Solvent extracted, capturing the lush fragrance of night-blooming jasmine.

Type Four: Supercritical CO₂ Extraction

A modern, solvent-free method that produces exceptionally pure, potent oils.*

1. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is gently pressurized into a supercritical state, where it moves like a liquid yet expands like a gas.
2. In this form, the CO₂ draws the plant’s essential oils without the need for heat, preserving their natural integrity.
3. When the extraction is complete, the CO₂ simply returns to air, leaving behind a pure, concentrated oil with no trace of residue.

This method is especially suited for temperature-sensitive botanicals because it protects their delicate aromatic compounds and the character that makes them unique.*

Examples of Supercritical (CO₂) Extraction Extracts

• Ginger Essential Oil (Zingiber officinale) – Supercritical CO₂ extracted, capturing the radiant heat and vibrant energy of fresh ginger root.
• Clove Essential Oil (Syzygium aromaticum) – Supercritical CO₂ extracted, preserving the rich, spicy warmth and comforting depth of clove buds.

Type Five: Enfleurage

One of the oldest and most time-honored forms of extraction, enfleurage is reserved for flowers that release their fragrance slowly and gently.

1. Fresh petals are placed on glass plates covered with a soft layer of fat, where their aroma is absorbed little by little over days or even weeks.
2. Once the scent has fully infused, the fat is washed with alcohol to draw out the fragrant oils, creating an essence that is delicate, complex, and true to the living flower.

Though rarely practiced today because of the care and time it requires, enfleurage remains the most faithful way to capture the fragile spirit of flowers.*

Examples of Enfleurage Extracts

• Tuberose Essential Oil (Polianthes tuberosa) – Enfleurage-extracted, preserving the deep, velvety aroma and tender, lingering sweetness of the flower.
• Gardenia Essential Oil (Gardenia jasminoides) – Enfleurage-extracted, capturing the soft, creamy fragrance of freshly bloomed petals.

Categories: Understanding the Types of Essential Oilss

Not all plant extracts are the same. Each carries its own character, shaped by the way it is drawn from the plant. Essential oils can be thought of in four main categories: essential oils, absolutes, concretes, and hydrosols. What sets them apart is how they are extracted, how concentrated they are, and how they are meant to be used.

Category One: Essential Oils

Essential oils carry the essence of the plant, captured through methods like steam distillation, cold pressing, or CO₂ extraction. These processes draw out the volatile, fragrant compounds that give each oil its character and make it treasured for both its phytotherapeutic and aromatic qualities.* This makes it essential to many daily rituals, from calming the mind in aromatherapy to nourishing skin health and overall well-being.*

Examples of Essential Oils

• Star Anise Essential Oil (Illicium verum) – Steam distilled, capturing the warm, sweet-spicy essence of star anise.
• Eucalyptus Essential Oil (Eucalyptus globulus) – Steam distilled, preserving the crisp, clarifying aroma and signature cooling touch of eucalyptus leaves.
• Black Pepper Essential Oil (Piper nigrum) – Steam distilled, carrying the peppercorn’s sharp, invigorating warmth and grounding vitality.

Category Two: Absolutes

Unlike essential oils, absolutes are drawn using solvent-based methods, a process that captures the most delicate fragrance molecules that steam distillation might miss. This process preserves the plant’s full aromatic profile, resulting in a richer, more complex scent.* It’s this depth that makes absolutes so highly valued in perfumery and luxury skincare, where every nuance of fragrance matters.

Examples of Absolutes

• Rose Absolute (Rosa damascena) – Solvent extracted, capturing the tender, floral richness of rose petals and their timeless, heart-opening fragrance.
• Tobacco Absolute (Nicotiana tabacum) – Solvent extracted, drawing out the deep, earthy soul of tobacco leaves.

Category Three: Concretes

Concretes are rich, semi-solid extracts that embody the plant’s essence in a waxy, fragrant form. Unlike absolutes, they hold both the volatile oils and the plant’s natural waxes, giving them depth and fullness that feels almost alive.* Many concretes are refined further to become absolutes, but some are cherished in their raw form and used in high-end fragrances and cosmetics.*

Examples of Concretes

• Benzoin Resin Concrete (Styrax benzoin) – Solvent extracted, capturing the resin’s sweet, balsamic aroma and soft, ambered warmth.
• Orange Blossom Concrete (Citrus aurantium) – Solvent extracted, preserving the radiant, floral sweetness of orange blossoms.
• Chinese Ginseng Concrete (Panax ginseng) – Solvent extracted, highlighting the earthy, grounding character of Chinese ginseng root.
• Jasmine Concrete (Jasminum grandiflorum) – Solvent extracted, capturing the delicate, radiant aroma of jasmine flowers.

Category Four: Hydrosols

Hydrosols, or floral waters, are the gentle essence captured from steam distillation. They are lighter than essential oils, but still carry many of the plant’s beneficial compounds.* Their subtle strength makes them perfect for skincare, body care, and mild aromatherapy.*

Examples of Hydrosols

• Rose Water (Rosa damascena) – Steam distilled, capturing the gentle essence and floral purity of fresh rose petals.
• Lavender Water (Lavandula angustifolia) – Steam distilled, preserving the soft aroma and soothing calm of lavender flowers.