If you are like me, you are probably wondering how they get the oils out of the plants and into those cute little bottles. Good question! This process is known as extraction, and there are actually a few ways to do it. The first way, and the way that doTERRA does it, is through distillation.
In the distillation method, steam is passed through the plant material. This causes the oils to be released from the plant and they are collected and cooled along with the steam. After cooling, the oil and water separate, and the oil is collected. This is the most expensive way to extract oil, but it is also the purest and most natural way, which is why doTERRA uses it.
The second way to extract oils is by using some sort of mechanical method to squeeze them out, such as a cold press. This is cheaper than distillation, but ends up mixing solids, juices, and oils all together. The oil must be separated from this mixture and it can be harder to get a truly pure product.
It is also possible to extract essential oils through chemical processes, but this taints the end product. These cannot be considered pure essential oils and should be avoided.
If you do choose to purchase oils from a company other than doTERRA, it is important to know which extraction method they use.
