some published materials seemed to interchange extract with Essential oils. Although this has been done, this is not intentional. some authors are just merely describing or trying to explain their point as accurately as possible. However, there are some instances when using some words could be misinterpreted or make others confused. Some may assume that extract and Essential oils can be interchanged or they are the same, but they are different. Knowing how they are made and where they are meant to be applied, will make you understand the difference. This post aims to clarify the difference between extract and Essential oil.
Production method
To make an extract, alcohol must be used. It is obtained by soaking or steeping a botanical which can be a flower, fruit peel, or any plant part in an alcohol solution. (2) An example of how to make an extract is by using fresh plant leaves and letting them evaporate to dryness. Then you will dissolve it in methanol overnight. (1) extracts will then be transferred to clean containers or vessels, and let evaporate to dryness again then redissolve in another chemical – dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) to yield a final concentration of the extract. (1)
Unlike with Essential oil, you need a real plant. It doesn’t need any additives such as synthetic ingredients or alcohol to produce it. Thus essential oils are produced by distilling a plant to produce its strongest sCent. (2)
Purposes
Extracts are more limited. They are typically used for skin applications and some products (2)
Essential oils are natural, and healthier that’s why it is being applied in a variety of products. It is an important ingredient for perfume making, massage oils, lotion, as well as cleansing bars, and many more. Hence aromatherapists certainly love and choose Essential oils.
To avoid confusion, here’s a tip that will make you assured. When the writer is an aroma therapist, their focus is on Essential oil, hence whenever they write, it’s about Essential oils. Aromatherapists will not make you confused because the difference between extract and Essential oil is clear to them. So articles written by aromatherapists that are genuinely passionate about Essential oils are trustworthy and reliable.
Know the difference
- (1) Larson E.C., Pond C.D., Rai P.P., Matainaho T.K., Piskaut P., Franklin M.R., Barrows L.R. Traditional Preparations and Methanol Extracts of Medicinal Plants from Papua New Guinea Exhibit Similar Cytochrome P450 Inhibition. Hindawi Publishing Corporation Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2016, p2.. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/7869710
- (2) Difference Between Vanilla Essential Oil, Absolute & Extract. https://www.spicybuffalo.com/food-substitutes/vanilla-absolute-vs-vanilla-extract/ Retrieved on February 1, 2023
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