{"id":98751,"date":"2026-10-13T16:49:39","date_gmt":"2026-10-13T14:49:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aladdin.si\/etericna-olja-od-rastline-do-steklenicke\/"},"modified":"2026-10-18T18:06:10","modified_gmt":"2026-10-18T16:06:10","slug":"essential-oils-from-plant-to-bottle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aladdin.si\/en\/essential-oils-from-plant-to-bottle\/","title":{"rendered":"Essential oils: from plant to bottle"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When you open a bottle of good essential oil, the scent is not just pleasant \u2013 it is alive. Fresh orange smells like fruit that has just been peeled, conifers like a forest after rain. Yet the same oil can lose this freshness after a few months in the wrong place. In this article we show you how essential oils are made, where ours come from, how to recognise quality and why at Aladdin Perfumery House we prefer working in smaller batches rather than with large stocks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What an essential oil actually is<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

An essential oil is a mixture of volatile fragrant substances that a plant stores in its leaves, flowers, fruit peel, wood or resin. Despite the name, it is not an “oil” in the kitchen sense of the word: it contains no fats, so it leaves no greasy mark on paper but evaporates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The international standard ISO 9235<\/strong> only counts as an essential oil a product obtained by steam distillation, dry distillation or mechanical expression of citrus peel. Fragrant extracts obtained with solvents (absolutes, such as jasmine) or with carbon dioxide (CO\u2082 extracts) can be excellent, but strictly speaking they are not essential oils.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How they are obtained<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Infographic:<\/a>
Two methods of obtaining essential oils: steam distillation and cold pressing. Illustration: Aladdin Perfumery House<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Steam distillation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is the most common method. Plant material \u2013 leaves, flowers, wood or resin \u2013 is loaded into a still, and hot steam is passed through it. The steam releases the volatile fragrant substances from the plant cells and carries them away. In the condenser the steam and oil condense, and in the collecting vessel the oil, which does not mix with water, separates from it. The water that remains is the hydrolate \u2013 a delicate floral or herbal water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Distillation takes experience. Too short, and it does not capture the heavier, deeper notes; too long and too hot, and it can “cook” the scent. Wood and resins are distilled much longer than leaves and flowers. This is how most of our oils are made: from tea tree and eucalyptus to cedarwood, frankincense and geranium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cold pressing of the peel<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Citrus oils \u2013 orange, mandarin, lemon, grapefruit and bergamot \u2013 are stored in tiny oil glands in the peel. These are opened by mechanical pressing without heat, and the oil is then separated from the juice and water in a centrifuge. Because no heat is involved, the scent stays juicy and sparkling, just as we know it from freshly peeled fruit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Much of the world\u2019s orange oil is produced alongside orange juice, mostly in Brazil. That is why orange oil is one of the most affordable essential oils \u2013 which does not mean it is worth any less.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How much plant goes into one bottle<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The yield varies greatly from plant to plant. 100 kg of eucalyptus leaves give 3 to 4 kg of oil, while the same amount of frankincense resin gives only about 0.4 kg. Rose is the extreme case: one kilogram of oil requires 3.5 to 5 tonnes of petals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Chart:<\/a>
Approximate yields in essential oil production (source: Malle & Schmickl, summarised by AromaWeb). Illustration: Aladdin Perfumery House<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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What does this tell us about price?<\/strong>
The price of an essential oil primarily reflects how much plant material and work goes into it \u2013 not necessarily its quality. A cheap oil is not automatically a bad one. A surprisingly cheap “expensive” oil, such as rose or frankincense, however, is a reason for caution.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Where our oils come from<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The same plant smells different when it grows on the other side of the world. Climate, altitude, soil and harvest time all affect the composition of the oil, which is why we give the Latin name and country of origin for every oil. Most of our oils come from places where the plant traditionally thrives: tea tree from Australia, where it originates, lavender from France, cinnamon from Sri Lanka, ylang ylang from the Comoros, frankincense from Somalia and juniper from the mountains of North Macedonia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Already available<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Oil<\/th>Latin name<\/th>Country of origin<\/th>Plant part<\/th>Extraction<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Tea tree<\/td>Melaleuca alternifolia<\/em><\/td>Australia<\/td>leaves and twigs<\/td>steam distillation<\/td><\/tr>
Lemongrass<\/td>Cymbopogon citratus<\/em><\/td>Guatemala<\/td>leaves<\/td>steam distillation<\/td><\/tr>
Eucalyptus<\/td>Eucalyptus globulus<\/em><\/td>China<\/td>leaves and twigs<\/td>steam distillation<\/td><\/tr>
Bergamot<\/td>Citrus bergamia<\/em><\/td>Ivory Coast<\/td>fruit peel<\/td>cold pressing<\/td><\/tr>
Sweet orange<\/td>Citrus sinensis<\/em><\/td>Brazil<\/td>fruit peel<\/td>cold pressing<\/td><\/tr>
Virginia cedarwood<\/td>Juniperus virginiana<\/em><\/td>USA<\/td>wood<\/td>steam distillation<\/td><\/tr>
Frankincense<\/td>Boswellia carterii<\/em><\/td>Somalia<\/td>resin<\/td>steam distillation<\/td><\/tr>
Geranium<\/td>Pelargonium graveolens<\/em><\/td>Egypt<\/td>leaves, stems, flowers<\/td>steam distillation<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Coming soon<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Oil<\/th>Latin name<\/th>Country of origin<\/th>Plant part<\/th>Extraction<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Lavender<\/td>Lavandula angustifolia<\/em><\/td>France<\/td>flowering tops<\/td>steam distillation<\/td><\/tr>
Peppermint<\/td>Mentha \u00d7 piperita<\/em><\/td>India<\/td>flowering herb<\/td>steam distillation<\/td><\/tr>
Rosemary<\/td>Rosmarinus officinalis<\/em><\/td>Spain<\/td>flowering tops<\/td>steam distillation<\/td><\/tr>
Red thyme<\/td>Thymus vulgaris<\/em><\/td>Spain<\/td>leaves<\/td>steam distillation<\/td><\/tr>
Lemon<\/td>Citrus limon<\/em><\/td>Italy<\/td>fruit peel<\/td>cold pressing<\/td><\/tr>
Mandarin<\/td>Citrus nobilis<\/em><\/td>Italy<\/td>fruit peel<\/td>cold pressing<\/td><\/tr>
Grapefruit<\/td>Citrus paradisi<\/em><\/td>USA<\/td>fruit peel<\/td>cold pressing<\/td><\/tr>
Cinnamon (leaf)<\/td>Cinnamomum zeylanicum<\/em><\/td>Sri Lanka<\/td>leaves and twigs<\/td>steam distillation<\/td><\/tr>
Clove (leaf)<\/td>Eugenia caryophyllata<\/em><\/td>Madagascar<\/td>leaves<\/td>steam distillation<\/td><\/tr>
Star anise<\/td>Illicium verum<\/em><\/td>China<\/td>fruits<\/td>steam distillation<\/td><\/tr>
Scots pine<\/td>Pinus sylvestris<\/em><\/td>Siberia<\/td>needles<\/td>distillation<\/td><\/tr>
Hemlock spruce<\/td>Tsuga canadensis<\/em><\/td>USA<\/td>needles and twigs<\/td>steam distillation<\/td><\/tr>
Juniper<\/td>Juniperus communis<\/em><\/td>North Macedonia<\/td>berries<\/td>steam distillation<\/td><\/tr>
Patchouli<\/td>Pogostemon cablin<\/em><\/td>Indonesia<\/td>dried leaves<\/td>steam distillation<\/td><\/tr>
Ylang ylang<\/td>Cananga odorata<\/em><\/td>Comoros<\/td>flowers<\/td>steam distillation<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Frankincense will soon also be available as a 100% pure essential oil. The current 5% blend of frankincense in grapeseed oil<\/a> remains available among the scented blends<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to recognise a quality essential oil<\/h2>\n\n\n\n