Two other common extraction methods used for capturing essence for essential oils are enfleurageand solvent extraction. Enfleurageis a process of pressing an item into either a wax or oil until the essence is removed from the item completely, and the carrier now contains the essential oil. This method is often used in situations involving flower petals. When certain items are too delicate for steam distillation solvent extraction is the method used. Solvent extraction can be a very expensive way to create an essential oil. With this method the item being used for its essence is mixed with other components; solvents like benzene, hexane, or petroleum. This mixture keeps continuing until the solvent contains the essence of the item. This mixture is called concretes. Concretes are the mixture of essential oils, waxes, resins, and plant materials that are lipophilic(oil soluble). From this mixture, the now fragrant solvent is then mixed with an ethyl alcohol solvent which breaks down the non fragrant elements. When that process is completed, the mixture is distilled and filtered so the essence is separated from the solution. The essential oil at this state is called an absolute. As mentioned earlier, there are many benefits of using essential oils, but as with anything, there are always drawbacks that need to be noted. Obviously when dealing with essential oils, you have very highly concentrated oil, and in most instances, the essential oil should never be applied in this state directly on the skin. Essential oils in their undiluted form are termed “neat”. The neat form of an essential oil can cause severe skin irritations and even allergic reactions. If a neat essential oil is used directly on the skin, it can become hepatotoxic. This hepatotoxicityis one reason why one should be well educated about specific essential oils before deciding to use them on pets. Animals have higher sensitivity to dermal toxicity than do humans; especially feline species.
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