You can make your own lavender essential oil if you have the right equipment and access to lavender plants. Remember that essential oil is different to infused oil – it’s pure and is extracted directly from the plant.
This article will take you through the process step by step and show you exactly how to make lavender essential oil at home, yourself. You can also download printable instructions for free here.
The process we will follow is called ‘steam distillation’. It involves heating the plant matter in a gadget called a still. The steam that rises includes oil vapour, which then gets collected in a tube and the oil is separated.
The easiest way to do this is with a piece of distilling equipment called a still.
Ingredients
This could not be a shorter list:
- Lavender (tips below)
- Water (tap water is fine)
Lavender stems, leaves and flowers can all be used to make oil, but don’t cut into the woody growth of the plant.
In theory, you can harvest your lavender at any stage, however the oil quality will over the course of the season and development of the plants. For best results, harvest (cut) when at least half of the buds are blooming. Remember that not all of the buds on the same ‘spike’ will bloom at once, so just keep an eye on the plant as a whole and use your judgement. It’s not an exact science so don’t worry too much.
You can use dried flowers to make lavender essential oil, but this is optional. The benefit of drying it first is that you can fit much more in your still. The disadvantage is that using dried lavender to make essential oil means you will get less oil.
Read our guide on harvesting and drying lavender here.
Equipment for making essential oil
You will need:
- A still for the process of steam distillation*
- A small funnel or pipette (optional, but very handy and reduces the chance of spilling the precious oil).
- Bottles for storing your essential oil (see note below).
- Labels
Still
A still is a piece of distilling equipment that, in its simplest form, comprises:
- Steam generator (boiler pot) for water
- Secondary chamber (pot) for the plant material
- Tube that collects the steam
- Condenser a chamber or pot that collects the condensed steam, or oil / water mixture that has flown through the tube.
- A separator, to separate the water from the oil.
People have used stills for centuries. They boil and cool liquids to collect the vapour, and because different liquids boil and condense at different temperatures, distilling is an easy way to separate substances with different chemical properties.
Stills are what people use to extract oils (like we are doing here), alcohol, perfume, still water, medicine and so much more, from large factory scale to smaller systems in laboratories. The process is the same.
The best still for extracting essential oil is one that you can just put on your stovetop at home. Sometimes you can hire these from your local library (it doesn’t hurt to ask), or you can buy one.
If you decide to buy a still, you can use it for more than just essential oil (moonshine anyone?). It is really versatile and a handy piece of equipment to have for people who like to make their own things at home easily. Here are a few recommendations, form basic and affordable, to fancy and stylish. Stills can be made of stainless steel or copper.
Bottles
Bottles should be small, made of glass and a dark colour, like these. The best colours are amber / brown, or cobalt blue. This will help protect your oil from the deteriorating effects of sunlight. If essential oil is exposed to sunlight, the quality is affected.
You can reuse bottles if you already have some, but you need to clean them really well. Labelling is important. You can use masking tape and pen, or small stickers.
The oil you are making is precious, and you don’t want to spill it. You can use a small funnel to fill your bottles, or you can use a dropper / pipette.
You can usually buy bottles, labels and a funnel / pipette in a ready-made set like this.
Options for funnels, pipettes and labels.
* you can make essential oil without a still, but it is unlikely to be as pure.
Method for extracting essential oil
Stills vary in the way that they are set up, and how you use them. It’s best to follow the instructions for the specific still that you are using, but here we will explain how it works in detail, so that you understand the process that you are following.
- Set up the still according to the instructions – this is easy to do.
- Put water in the boiler part of the still. Be sure you put enough in so that it doesn’t run out and check it a few times through the process. If the water runs out, you might end up with damaged equipment.
- Add your lavender plants (stems, leaves and flowers) – fresh or dried to the second pot that sits on the water pot.
- Turn the still on to high, to heat the water until it is boiling, then you can turn it down to a simmer. The steam will rise through the lavender plant material, and flow through the tube into the condenser. This process can take from 1 – 6 hours, depending on the plant, so keep an eye on it.
- Let the distillate (oil / water mixture) cool down, leaving it to sit for 12 – 24 hours. This lets the oil separate from the water.
- Separate the oil. Most condensers have a valve at the bottom which allow you to drain the water (also called hydrosol) out first, then the essential oil.
- Put the water (hydrosol) and oil into separate containers, making sure the oil goes into dark coloured glass bottles. You can use a funnel or pipette to fill your bottles.
- Label your bottles.
- Store in a cool, dry place.
- Clean up.
As a bonus – your house will smell amazing.
Safety
You are working with very hot water and even hotter steam, and you don’t want burn yourself. Make your own oil at your own risk. Be sensible and safe – work in a clean workspace, keep pets and children away, and take all other relevant precautions.
Would you rather buy essential oil? – click here to see options on Amazon