Making Homemade Lavender Essential Oil In The Microwave

[@nancios1]

Excellent Video! What a shame that the Oilextech company is going out of business (Jan 2021). Hopefully they can be purchased and someone can scale it to become more affordable for the home user. I think it’s an amazing invention and I’d love to have one someday.

[@SoapSchoolUK]

Oh no, that is such a terrible shame as their products are fantastic.

[@ohtaste]

They are looking for a buyer...

[@LABYRINTHHILL]

What a great demonstration. We were delighted to have an earlier version introduced by the inventor at our 2014 lavender-growers conference in Portland Oregon! Love your videos and appreciate how much information you always share freely. Cheers! 💜💜💜

[@SoapSchoolUK]

Wow Susan how fantastic. I always wanted my own lavender farm but now just visit as many as I can each year :) We really appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you here again :)

[@loriboggetti7690]

I really enjoyed your video. I purchased the EssenEx 100A and just tried it out. It worked great. Also, I love your bottle. I bought a similar one and etched a label on the glass. It looks so cute! Thank you!

[@SoapSchoolUK]

Hi Lori, I am completely thrilled that you like it too. I have three distillers but this is my favourite and so easy to use. I'm a sucker for pretty things like the bottles too :)

[@michellebolton5744]

Thank you so much for making this video. It helps with understanding the process in detail.

[@elynaangelic4353]

That was a fabulous video. Thank you so much for showing us how to distill. I love lavender. So fresh and clean and makes me feel alive! 🥰

[@sadaesashington7255]

I expected this kit to be a bit more affordable than a ordinary distillery. For the money that this cost I might as well just do it the old fashioned way and buy an original distillery to make my essential oils.

[@SoapSchoolUK]

Hi Sadae, you absolutely can use a traditional still. I have two regular one but this only takes 6 minutes to make and produces much purer oils in comparison, whereas the traditional one takes forever to set up and use. Either way, have lots of fun making them :)

[@vj6194]

I totally agree with you. As for myself, I am just curious on how to make essential oils, it is so expensive to spend that kind of money for my curiosity.

[@debbiep99]

Especially because it's mostly plastic

[@natashagreen-chillaxedprod7769]

It wouldn’t be hard to make this distillery

[@smokemirrors1531]

That company - your paying for the patent

[@soapsforlove4168]

I remember when you first bought that. I'm so glad to see how it works. What an amazing product. I love lavender and really need to grow some. Thanks SO much Sarah for this wonderful little tutorial . Have a great week.

[@SoapSchoolUK]

Hiya Renee, I love it so much, it's just so easy to pop a batch on compared to a full set up of the traditional stills. I always wanted my own lavender farm, but I am happy with my raised bed full of them and some smaller pots :D

[@brucecook502]

I'm just getting into gardening and am considering growing lavender so I can just make my own Essential oils instead of paying out huge bucks for the premium oils I've been buying. Thanks for making this video, I think this will be my method to extract my oils.

[@joelegrand5903]

Thanks, I am retiring & want to grow Lavender, so why not destill it also.

[@diybacacdesign]

Interesting video, another interesting fact because I grow lavender. For 1 L of lavender oil you need about 55 kg of fresh flowers, with distillation we get with lavender oil a tonic that is great for skin care

[@SoapSchoolUK]

We always wanted our own lavender farm when we were younger. For my own use in a face cream etc, I don't even separate the oil from the hydrosol, I like it all :)

[@Mimi.bit02]

I thoroughly enjoyed watching and learning. Your demonstration and instruction were easy to understand and verbalized beautifully!! Thank you so much, for doing this video I absolutely loved it!!

[@AromaDelightBeautyCareProducts]

This is a wonderful video with great information on the making of homemade lavender EO in the microwave. Wonderful Essenex100A essential oil still from Oilextech, I have to look into this one.

[@SoapSchoolUK]

I am really glad that you enjoyed it. Sometimes I think I am a bit weird but I just love playing and making delicious things

[@shonamagouyrk9575]

What can hydrosol be used in making?

[@LucretiaArmstrong]

Sarah Jane, I loved your presentation! My mind is already thinking of hydrosols and growing lavender. You started something! 😉😁💗

[@SoapSchoolUK]

Lovely to have you with us Lucretia. It is rather addictive but so much fun :D

[@elenitilli4842]

I was impessed by the video and by the Essenex 100 equipment by the Oilextech company. Unfortunately the Oilextech has been got out of business. Is the Essenex 100 still available and how can I purchase it. If this is possible can you send it to me to Cyprus?

[@SoapSchoolUK]

You may be able to find one on sale on ebay or other resellers from time to time Eleni

[@witchhazel8583]

Waow what good ideal!!! But .....microwave......I have learned that never use water i mv, because the water molecules changes and Will change picture of your blood cells... but I guess its ok when just using the oil external. Thanks for your videos🤗🤗

[@melindapedrosa6445]

Hello, where can I buy the materials?

[@MrWookie21]

Thank you for sharing this extraction process. Have quiet a few lavender plants in the garden since several years now ; but was just collecting flowers that I dried & preserved in hermetic jars. Am now interested to use them for a soap recipe. Was thinking to just use them as is after having poured and mixed the lye ; because the flowers would be crushed thoroughly by the mixer to liberate the oil into the batter? Was wondering what function could have the additional water mug & curious to know if the pot lid was metallic or not ; because this might be dangerous? I assume the ice cone operates as a condenser ; how powerful should the microwave operate in watts ? Thank you for your time.

[@valayavasuhirun9060]

Loved your video clip !! Easy to understand. Thank you 😊 💓

[@tebethblaker777]

Lovely lavender video!

[@SoapSchoolUK]

So glad you enjoyed it :)

[@anitadeshpande2696]

Please. Place the link to buy from Amazon?

[@hassaninminecraft5581]

love your creativity . but how can we get the tools you use it .. can we try it with rose petals .? for rose water

[@SoapSchoolUK]

Hi Hassan, I added the companies detail in the description under the video so why not check them out :) . You can use this for many types of essential oils and hydrosols, however rose petls require a huge amount of petals to produce even minute amounts of oil, so yes it' doable but not really viable.

[@hassaninminecraft5581]

@@SoapSchoolUK many thanks to you I will check

[@lynnscholes1617]

Hi . Please will you make a whipped soap? Would rather make my own base than buy a base but don’t know where to start.

[@SoapSchoolUK]

Hiya Lynn, which type of whipped soap, there are a huge variety of methods/types. What are you wanting to make from it?

[@lynnscholes1617]

Hi . A whipped light soap fir use in the shower. Didn’t know there was different types of whipped soap? 🙈

[@SoapSchoolUK]

@@lynnscholes1617 then the dual lye cream soaps are ideal. It isn't something I would be doing on KZbin as it is more complex for a short video but there are some forums specifically for cream soaps that you might want to look up on Facebook

[@petermccarthy4975]

Is the lid metal ? I’m confused. Have you tried it with other plant matter? I’m keen to try cardamom

[@SoapSchoolUK]

Yes it is metal and no it doesn't arc. Sadly this company is no longer in business but you should be able to still find one on sale. I have used it with many types of plants, leaves, peel and flowers. If you are using something like cardamom you will want to crush or grind the pods first

[@bunnieswitzer2522]

absolutely love lavender, great video.

[@lkrsoapandsuch5767]

That was fun to watch Sarah. Too bad they are out of business now. Have a blessed holiday season.

[@SoapSchoolUK]

Lauren I was gutted when they closed. Another sad loss due to the current situation :(

[@pravaliacreativa2314]

Hi, Great video 😍 some people frezze the hydrosol with the oil. The water freeze and you can collect more easier the oil from above. Do you think is you frezze the oil will became viscous? Thanks

[@nancysmith9487]

Appreciate your tutorial and opinions expressed in this video. Good job thank you for sharing your inspiration.

[@anitadeshpande2696]

On an average how much oil were u able to extract. From. The 100 gms of flowers?

[@samanthadavis6309]

Oh my goodness, this is amazing. Love this video!

[@SoapSchoolUK]

Hey Samantha, it is truly a joy being able to make them in just a few minutes. I love my new still :)

[@khaoulalian]

Essential oil are volatile when you keep the jar open after extraction an important portion will evaporate quickly

[@nancy9704]

How incredible! I love love lavender. When is the best time to harvest lavender and then use this technique to make the oil and water? Should you use only fresh lavender or could you use dried lavender? Could you also make lilac oil? Sorry for so many questions. Just curious. I really want to do this. Thank you so much. :)

[@SoapSchoolUK]

Hi Nancy, You usually harvest when the flowers are full but still closed as they have the best oil content then. When they fully open they lose the oil. You can make it with dried but again the yield will be lower but remember the amounts created at home will be tiny anyway. I often don't separate the oil from the hydrosol and I use them together for their beautiful scent and properties. Never tried doing it with lilac :)

[@anitadeshpande2696]

Which mode did u operate the microwave or simply just the heat mode?

[@shonamagouyrk9575]

United States, football, nascar lol. I have a question, I have just began learning about making my own oils and perfume, however, I can't buy a still so Im watching videos for ideas how to make one. Is there a way you can make one like you have there? Do u think there could be something that you can use, from home, to make something like this? Thank you

[@anitadeshpande2696]

Hi mam, can this same equipment can be used to distill other type of essential oils like rose, rosemary, carrot, neem, lemon, orange etc.

[@KC-zb9qd]

So cute! I’ve found your channel as I need new quarantine hobbies and all your videos look like so much fun! :)

[@SoapSchoolUK]

I am thrilled to hear You enjoyed them. Have a great weekend!

[@mariannebrearleylove3936]

Fabulous thank you for sharing I have about. Five varieties here in Brittany France adore it

[@TimRoseOfficial]

What a cool video! Thanks for showing how to do this ^_^ Amazing job and blessings to you! :)

[@SoapSchoolUK]

Thanks for the feedback, so glad you enjoyed it :)

[@pattriciapatino]

Great video. What do you do with the leftover lavender?

[@SoapSchoolUK]

It just goes on the compost heap currently but it still makes it smell good :)

[@sanjanewmoonlife]

Did you wash your lavender?

[@SoapSchoolUK]

No the heat of distillation will sterlize everything

[@noraellen4623]

Would this work in the sun as well, instead of the microwave, for those offgrid?

[@SoapSchoolUK]

Sadly it would not get hot enough to boil the liquid and turn it into steam to distil the material

[@noraellen4623]

@@SoapSchoolUK Thank you for your reply.

[@krystalforrest339]

Hello where can you buy this from it looks great!

[@jeanniesmithlunde2114]

Can you use dried lavender?

[@SoapSchoolUK]

Hi Jeannie, yes you can but the yield is generally lower when using dried

[@serenanocte4769]

can you use this method for other oils too? for example rosemary

[@techman6431]

I love lavender your idea is great where can I buy this unit Thankyou for the idea 01nov2021 India 🇮🇳 11:45pm

[@SoapSchoolUK]

Hi Nadeem, Sadly this company has ceased trading

[@lumeoncruz9603]

That-s a great process of herbal oil evtraction... Thank you.....

[@SoapSchoolUK]

So glad you enjoyed it :)

[@fousies]

Will this work for lemon balm?

[@SoapSchoolUK]

Yes, it will work with any essential oils using steam distillation

[@jhcaptures1830]

May I know which lavender plant are you using?

[@SoapSchoolUK]

Not sure what the genus is. You can see it at the beginning of the video though. It is a huge lavender bush in our garden that's at least 4 feet high and probably more in diameter

[@ME_MeAndMyBees]

Seems the Company making this Microwave Kit has gone out of Business !?! Link says as of 1st Jan 2021... It Closed, as is Available ??? So where do we go to get such a Kit??? Can you advise please. Nice Video, (but useless without the Kit.) HELP !!!

[@SoapSchoolUK]

They were selling thousands each month so there are bound to be some coming up on ebay and reseller sites over time. Such a shame and another brand loss due to the current situation.

[@sandihunt]

I assume this is food grage hydrosol if your herb is organic....I want to use lavender hydrosol in making myer lemon cordial.

[@SoapSchoolUK]

Yes, correct

[@soapsoilandsunshine3241]

I'm not a huge fan of lavender and only really use it as an anchor oil. Just wondering if I could use basil or coriander to make EO's. Looks fascinating. Thanks so much for sharing.

[@SoapSchoolUK]

Yes you can! You can make eo from both but basil is restricted in cosmetics in the UK/EU as a skin sensitiser due to the methyl eugenol it contains

[@walkthroughmydestiny]

I looooove lavender. Thank you.

[@champfeilden3674]

Can you use this process for rose petals?

[@savchan1000]

Do the bottom shield and funnel shield has little holes in them?

[@Valmai007]

Question~ have you ever tried to see what happens if you redo that process (using another ice cone) with the same lavender? I am very curious to see if any scent would come of it. It seems like a lot of lavender goes into yielding such a small amount of final liquid.

[@SoapSchoolUK]

Yes you do get further aromatic waters but not as concentrated. Essential oils do take a large amount of material, some take huge amounts which is reflected in their price usually

[@norhildaalvarez7592]

I have another question for you. What do you do with the hydrosol? Can you add it to the soaps?

[@SoapSchoolUK]

Norhilda Alvarez yes but they will not give much scent. They are best in creams and lotions or toners etc

[@norhildaalvarez7592]

Soap School got it! I ordered it 😃 thanks again for the information ❤️

[@arheufu5988]

Sorry but I found it complicated. Also I thought microwaving altered the chemistry of the products hence concerns around using it for cooking?

[@SoapSchoolUK]

I linked the scientific studies on this method in the description which you might enjoy :)

[@arheufu5988]

@@SoapSchoolUK thank you very much for your helpful reply. I will check it out because I want to certain of the safe chemical structure of the resulting oils. 👍

[@elb6a]

very practical and really i like it so cool enjoy it

[@SoapSchoolUK]

Thank you for your comment, really appreciate you taking the time to watch it with us

[@browpetj]

Smart invention. Im surprised at the yield. Worth getting the bigger version though.

[@SoapSchoolUK]

Peter Brown thanks for the glass tip. You can use dried botanicals but the yields will vary. I use dried mint sometimes

[@melindapedrosa6445]

How much does it cost?

[@emilynicolee21]

in organic chem lab we did a distillation like this, you did a much better demonstration and explanation than my TA did! 😂

[@SoapSchoolUK]

Thanks so much, hope it helps. I do it more because I love making it and playing :)

[@warismohamud8888]

It’s beautiful 🌹

[@c.tes9009]

Does that work for most herbs?

[@SoapSchoolUK]

You can distil many herbs, leaves, roots etc yes. The amounts they yield all vary and not all will give oil, some just the distillate extract

[@pamhowden8161]

I love lavender

[@norhildaalvarez7592]

Hi! I’m thinking about buying it. It is still working for you? Thanks for the video

[@SoapSchoolUK]

Norhilda Alvarez I love mine and rarely use my other stills now I have this

[@norhildaalvarez7592]

@@SoapSchoolUK thank you!!!

[@justinjohnson9627]

It looks like you got more essential oil than they tend to get from steam distillation. Of course flowers vary with species, strain, and weather, but still... that looks good!

[@SoapSchoolUK]

Yes, I get more than with my scientific glass still for sure. So sad the company closed during these hard times

[@kenycewescott1295]

So I could use the EO for my wax melts? And hydrosol could I used them for salves, balm, lotions?

[@SoapSchoolUK]

You can use essential oils in both. Hydrosols are water-based so not suitable for anhydrous products like balms or salves

[@kenycewescott1295]

@@SoapSchoolUK hi would the remaining hydrosol need a preservative?

[@SoapSchoolUK]

@@kenycewescott1295 If kept in a sealed bottle it is good for several months but most commercially sold versions do have a preservative added to them to extend the shelf life

[@shonamagouyrk9575]

WAIT nevermind, the frozen cone will melt! Therefore dripping down into your beaker....... I realize you have to cool the steam but wouldn't it melt before it had time to cool it down? I am so confused

[@sevenalsy]

Omg ... i love it! Where can i buy this?

[@SoapSchoolUK]

Sevena Lee me too. I popped the details of the company and name of it in the description under the video for you 😀

[@sevenalsy]

Soap School many thanks! Have a good day :)

[@annetteheath4694]

This looks great. I would love to know what the parts of the extractor are made of. They look like metal but I would not have thought you could put that in a microwave. Presumably the lid etc are ceramic. Is that right?

[@SoapSchoolUK]

Hi Anette, Thanks so much for joining in the conversation. You are correct, the internal parts and the lid are metal but there is no issue with the microwave. I actually linked an article about this in the description, so you might find it interesting :)

[@carolleverton5274]

Very interesting video I love lavender I also grow it in the garden but I've never distilled any oil thanks till the next time I hope to see you soon

[@SoapSchoolUK]

Hiya Carol, yay another lavender lover! Thanks for hanging out with me today x

[@cg5012]

Seems like a lot of trouble for a tiny bit of oil

[@SoapSchoolUK]

Unless this kind of thing lights your fire and you geek out over natural ingredients - then it's fun :)

[@sammieweible1980]

How much is that kit your using and what's it called ????

[@SoapSchoolUK]

Hi Sammie, It is the Essenex100A essential oil still from Oilextech is on sale at oilextech.com/products/ but they do a smaller version too!

[@smokemirrors1531]

PLease someone tell me why you need to distill? I mean if you just boiled it up in a big pot the oils would come out and rise to the top - no ?

[@midgeycrimbles6730]

Did you ever get an answer to this? I have always wondered the same thing

[@rosiebell9391]

My God fancy using the microwave

[@SoapSchoolUK]

I was stunned initially too until I dug into the research of it.

[@rudyfirmanto8512]

How do u set the microwave? Temperature, I mean.

[@SoapSchoolUK]

Hi Rudy, We use high heat setting on the microwave which is 900W model

[@justagirl5593]

Would it work well with bluebells?

[@SoapSchoolUK]

Sorry I have no experience or knowledge of bluebells other than admiring them each year

[@jamesshaff3395]

How many grams of lavender essential oil did this batch make?

[@TTommmmo]

Only 1g

[@lisanelson9400]

Where do I purchase the materials

[@SoapSchoolUK]

Hi LIsam we purchased the complete kit in the description so it came with everything we needed

[@habibhabibe2807]

Thanks ❤❤

[@champfeilden3674]

thank you

[@janine7418]

I would be extremely concerned about making EO in a microwave since microwave radiation affects the structure of the material/food.

[@SoapSchoolUK]

You might find this an interesting article - it is pretty in depth oilextech.com/is-microwave-radiation-ok/

[@nancysmith9487]

To all we thank yous

[@DJ-uk5mm]

That’s strange that the company have gone bust. It’s such an excellent product you would think the company would have been bought or I would have succeeded I guess the market is just too small.All their marketing was just not good enough I might try and make my own out of bits and bobs using your video for instruction.

[@thanyabattaglia6377]

Lovely! :)

[@WindDancer435]

I love what she did but it is too complicated for me and from the comments, the cost is prohibitive for the normal, home consumer like me. I really enjoyed the video though.

[@jonathanwirth8863]

Ideas 💡

[@smokemirrors1531]

i thought i was watching Bagpuss lol

[@jeanneamato8278]

This is an oil. It’s not an essential oil. Let’s make that clear

[@SoapSchoolUK]

Hi Jeanne, It is a distilled essential oil. We make essential oils for our own use with several types of still, this is not as traditional but one I find very interesting. I have included the scientific studies on the extraction and purity of essential oils distilled through microwave methods in the description which you might enjoy too :)

[@ghostlygirl191]

I'm concerned about the radiation produced by the microwave

[@SoapSchoolUK]

Microwaves have been safely used for over 40 years but you could always use a classic still as an alternative

[@eatpraylove231]

There is nothing you can separate, the oil is literally 1 gram 😲

[@Adriana-wh3zm]

Use imagination to create your own distillery. Question, are the microwaves in England different from U.S.?you just placed metal into your microwave... Maybe your microwave is an oven?!

[@SoapSchoolUK]

This explains it really well :) oilextech.com/is-microwave-radiation-ok/. I think it's a great idea to make your own !

[@lishaagarwal4862]

No wonder essential oils are so expensive

[@annlyon.2040]

I dont know if its worth it . You got no oil at all just a speck.

[@sanjanewmoonlife]

No it is not ,spending so much lavender to get only 1 g essential oil.

[@tassiegirl1991]

It looks like the company closed in 2021

[@SoapSchoolUK]

A sad loss of the pandemic

[@esmarianomariano]

Sarah you are lovely.

[@SoapSchoolUK]

Aww thank you x

[@stirtheimagination88]

Company closed. Can't get the distiller anymore. 😑

[@SoapSchoolUK]

How sad to hear this. Another business struck down during these sad and harsh times

[@catherinec7509]

Unfortunately this company went out of business in 2021 according to their website.

[@doniawonjohnson4047]

Can I do this with cannabis?

[@SoapSchoolUK]

Never tried it sorry

[@NatashaJohnBaptiste]

Microwave and essential oil should not be in the same sentence