How to make orange oil at home
It’s not difficult to make orange essential oil at home even if you have no experience in such things. Yet, if you give this task enough energy and attention, you will have a perfect anti-stress cosmetic product. Just check out the instructions below and get down to the magical process!
Tricks of making orange oil
How make orange oil at home? The extract of orange you can receive at home is slightly less intensive than the one you can purchase in specialized stores. However, it’s a great raw material for making scented candles or homemade soap, for baths and other cosmetic procedures. There are two available methods and it’s up to you to choose, which of them seems less difficult and more effective for you.
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Choose fresh oranges with a shiny firm peel, without any signs of rotting. Before you peel them, wash them carefully and remove all dirt. You will need only the peel, so you may save the pulp for other purposes. You can also use dried orange peel but the oil will be less saturated and the aroma will be less rich.
As well, you need to decide whether you are going to make the oil out of sweet or bitter oranges. Their scents are equally intensive and pleasant but some people think that the scent of bitter oranges is more exquisite.
Two methods of orange oil extraction at home
- This is how to make orange oil with water. You will need two cooking pots, one slightly bigger than the other, which can be put on top of the bigger one or a simple double boiler. Orange peels (dried or fresh ones) should be put into a sufficient amount of deodorized olive or any other pure vegetable oil so that they are completely covered with it. The bottom vessel should be filled with water that must boil slowly all the time.
- It will take several hours to infuse the orange essential oil and make it fuse with the vegetable oil this way. It’s quite a long process and it requires constant supervision because any increase of the heat can ruin the essential oil. Never let the oil boil and always control the amount of water in the bottom part. It will gradually boil out, so you will need to add water from time to time. Make sure the room where this process takes place is well ventilated.
- When the boiling time is over, you will need to filter the orange peels accurately from the oil. After they are removed, don’t hurry to throw them away. Use something like a wine press (or the winepress exactly, if you have one) to press the remaining essential oil out of the peels. Make sure that when you are pressing, you do it over a container where the oil will be collected. Then, just mix the entire oil together and stir properly.
- This done, you will need to cool the oil down and then pour it into small bottles made out of dark glass. It’s very important because ultraviolet can ruin the oil very quickly. Such oils have a relatively small storage time, so when you are preparing the oil, make sure that you are not making too much of it or that you are sure to use it all in some six months. It’s better to store such products in a cool dark place.
The second method of orange essential oil extraction is called distillation. This is how to make orange oil with orange peels without water.
- The squeezing method is perfect for working with citrus peels. In industry, such a method requires a centrifuge but you will need less complicated tools. You can crush the peel in the mortar until you see the oily liquid oozing from the mass. Alternatively, you can use a cutting board and a knife. Just chop the peels finely and then crush with the help of the flat knife side. When this process is complete, carefully collect the peels and the oily substance and put into a jar with a tight lid.
- When you have all the peel pieces and the squeezed out oil in the jar, pour into it deodorized olive oil, or any other scentless natural oil so that it covers the mass. Leave the jar in a cool dark place for three days. After this, prepare a double boiler and pour the content of the jar into the upper container. Heat the mass for a while (not long) and filer through some cheesecloth. Squeeze the mass thoroughly to get every drop of the oil.
- Once this is done, cool the oil down and immediately pour it into small containers made out of dark glass. Such oil can be stored for about six months, too. Store it in a cool dark place.
This easy way to make orange oil is known as infusion.
Storage and usage recommendations
Now, when you know how to make your own orange infused oil or even distilled oil, you need to know how to store it properly and how to use it for your benefit and without any harm to your health and beauty.
In order to store the oil safely, make sure that you keep it in glass bottles. Only they can prevent unnecessary chemical reactions. Remember to have tight lids because the oil can become rancid due to any contact with air or any pollutants from the air. The same can happen if you store the oil in a hot place or under the sunlight.
When using the received oil, never apply it onto skin as is. Always add some neutral oil before applying; otherwise, it can cause chemical burns or irritation. However, you can add several drops to a bottle of, say, hair balms or shampoos, of a body lotion or another cream. Simply remember that it’s necessary to dissolve essential oils in a big amount of a neutral substance.
Even though it’s made with a neutral oil, such things cannot be used for food purposes. If you need an orange fragrance, use special food flavoring. It’s prohibited to add essential oil to beverages or solid food products.
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Source: Legit.ng
