There are different methods for extracting essential oils.

The most widely used is the steam distillation method. This method consists of injecting steam into the container in which the raw material is located so that the water molecules in the gaseous state (steam) cross the cell membrane of the raw material dragging the volatile components, this is the essential oil.

We also have the hydrodistillation method . In this method, the raw material is immersed in water, later in the boiling of this water with raw material, the steam is released along with the volatile components.

Another type of extraction is the mashing method . By this procedure the raw material is immersed in oil for extraction, the process involves agitation and the prolonged contact of the oil with the raw material softens the cell walls allowing the essential oil to be solubilized in the oil for extraction.

Another type of extraction is by using CO2 or supercritical extraction. This method is very similar to steam entrainment, but because the process is at high pressure and the gas that entrains the essential oil molecules is CO2, its execution is more complex, in the same way, both volatile and non-volatile compounds are entrained.

Finally, there is also the extraction method through the use of waxes and solvents. This extraction process involves 2 phases, in the first the volatile and non-volatile compounds are captured by the wax due to its same solubility, obtaining what is known as a “concrete”, and in the second phase the volatile compounds are separated from the concrete. obtained a liquid solution called "absolute".

Going deeper into the steam distillation extraction method and the hydrodistillation method, both are very similar, the water molecule is activated due to the high temperature and in this way, the molecule passes through the cell membrane of the vegetal material. When the water molecule crosses the cell membrane, it carries other water molecules that are also inside the membrane. This first drag is known as “tank breath”. In a second phase, after the “tank breath”, the water molecules activated by heat carry away the essential oil molecules.

After the entrainment process, the steam now bound in its water molecules to the essential oil molecules enters an exchanger. It is at this point in the process where condensation happens, the water molecules with those of the essential oil become liquid.

In the last stage of this extraction process, the essential oil is separated from the condensed water, the water vapor now in liquid state is known as "hydrosol".

Both the essential oil and the “Hydrosol” are received in a separator glass and thanks to the weight and density, the oil floats and the “Hydrosol” accumulates at the bottom of the separator glass. Finally, the oil and the "Hydrosol" are stored since they both contain the processed material and this can be used in several other processes, since thanks to the steam with which it is processed, all this material is completely sterilized.