An
Introduction to Young Living Essential Oils Part 4
Extracting Essential Oils
There are several
ways to extract essential oils from plants. Young
Living Essential Oils sells three types of oils-steam
distilled essential oils, expressed oils, and
solvent-extracted absolutes.
Steam-Distilled Essential
Oils
Steam distillation
is the oldest and most traditional method of extraction. Almost all of
Young Living's essential oils are steam distilled using a proprietary
low-pressure, low-temperature process. Our steam chambers are constructed
of special stainless steel alloys to reduce the possibility of the steam
reacting with metal (such as aluminum or copper).
Our distillation
process begins with steam that is produced by heating softened, purified
water in two boilers. Plant material is inserted into a cooking chamber,
and the steam is passed through it. As the plant material is uniformly
heated, it releases essential oils, which are carried upward by the rising
steam. Care must be taken to avoid overheating, which can burn the oil
and release unwanted by-products.
The resulting steam/oil
mixture is captured in the top of the vessel and piped directly into a
condenser, where large amounts of cold water cool the tubes, allowing
the steam to condense.
Gravity does the
rest of the work. In a device called a separator, the oil floats to the
top and is easily drawn off the water surface. The batch is finished when
oil ceases to accumulate. The essential oils are poured into glass-lined
containers and transported to our processing center, where the oils are
packaged in protective amber glass bottles.
Expressed Oils
Expressed
oils are pressed from the rind of certain fruits, such as tangerines,
grapefruits,
and lemons.
Expressed oils technically are not essential oils, even though they are
rich in terpene alcohols and highly regarded for their therapeutic properties.
Expressed oils should only be obtained from organically grown crops, since
pesticide residues-especially toxic, oil-soluble carbamate and chloride-based
petrochemicals-can become highly concentrated in the oil.
The oils of bergamot,
citrus hystrix, grapefruit,
lemon, mandarin,
orange, and
tangerine
are obtained by cold pressing the fruit rinds.
Solvent-Extracted Absolutes
Jasmine
and neroli are extracted as absolutes. Because their oils are very volatile
and water soluble, they would not survive distillation.
Absolutes
are technically not essential oils but essences. They are made in two
steps. First, the plant is distilled using a hydrocarbon solvent, such
as hexane. This results in a concrete, which is a solid, waxy residue.
The concrete
is then distilled using pure grain alcohol to produce the final product,
the absolute. After processing, virtually none of the original solvent
remains. This method of extraction is used primarily for botanicals whose
fragrance and therapeutic properties can only be unlocked using solvents.
Testimonial
My
name is Rancel Evans. My wife, Joy and I are native Sussex Countians.
We would like to share with you a little about our experience with Young
Living Essential Oils.
I
have been a chronic pain patient for over 30 years due to a lower back
injury. In 1979, the doctors told me that I had irreparable nerve and
muscle damage. In 1980, I went to Johns Hopkins Pain Treatment Center.
I was told there was nothing that could be done to help me. I have reactions
to almost every medicine taken by mouth, so for the most part I have had
to "tough it out". I have been in a number of pain treatment
programs since then; trying every new gadget that medical science has
dreamed up. Nothing helped!
Traditional
medicine just wasn't working for me. So we started searching for an alternative.
We have tried all sorts of things. Finally, I gave up and refused to try
anything else. (Or so I said.) My condition was getting worse. I was having
increasing difficulty walking and we were sure that I was heading for
a wheelchair. My left leg had lost a lot of muscle tone and felt like
it had boiling water running down the outside of it constantly. I was
constantly plagued with severe muscle spasms.
In June
of 2002, friends that we had not seen in several years visited us. It
is those wonderful people who changed our life by introducing Young
Living Essential Oils to us. While sitting on the beach,
they told Joy about the power of essential oils and how they could help
me. Of course, she was sure that I would never let them touch me.
How
surprised she was when I agreed to have my first Raindrop Treatment. She
went into shock when I experienced immediate relief from my pain and it
lasted for over 3 days. These sweet people taught Joy how to do the Raindrop
Treatments. She began giving Raindrops to me weekly. She spent hours learning
about the oils. As she gained knowledge, she began including oils believed
to have the ability to help nerves to regenerate.
Today
I am PAIN AND SPASM FREE and I get Raindrops on an "as needed"
basis! ! ! ! The quality of my life is better than it's been in 30 years.
I am able to walk and stand without difficulty now. In fact, I am now
President of our Fire Company – a job that I would not have been physically
capable of doing a year ago.
Now about
Joy! She began Hormone Replacement Therapy 6 years ago. Last summer, when
she learned how dangerous that was, she decided to stop taking it. She
began using YLEO's as a replacement to the HRT. She has been using the
oils as a natural hormone replacement since late August and feels great.
She
has, also, been using the oils to treat a chronic sinus problem with great
success. She no longer needs prescription sinus medication.
Needless
to say Young Living has truly changed our lives. Thank you for taking
the time to read our little testimonial. We truly hope that it encourages
you to step out and try an alternative way of treating health problems.
Joy
This
information is intended for educational purposes only. It is not provided
in order to diagnose, prescribe, or treat any illness or disease of the
human body.
Part
1 : Part 2 : Part
3 : Part 4 : Part 5
: Part 6 : Part
7 : Part 8
|
Diana
Hooper, Independent Distributor of Young Living Essential Oils Member
#378910
