Essential oils are extracted through the process of steam distilling. However, there many flowers cannot undergo such a process because of the danger of being destroyed. Moreover, too high temperatures may also mean a bad influence on the aroma of the potential oil. An alternative way of extracting fragrances with the help of solvents has been invented; and the products that are received in such a way are called absolutes.
Advantage of Absolutes
When they are correctly produced, absolutes bear much more fragrance characteristics of the initial plant than their counterparts, which were steam distilled. For this reason a lot of oils are extracted in this way (e.g. clary sage, geranium, lavender, tonka bean, vanilla, etc). As the concentration of the ultimate substance is very high, it doesn’t usually smell the way the initial herb does and needs being diluted down to corresponding levels.
Problems with Absolutes
Due to the fact that solvents are used for absolutes’ production, there appears a need to extract completely these solvents from the end product, which is in reality an impossible task. There is always a tiny portion of solvent residues left in the material. A good absolute is the one where any residues are in the order of 5 to 10 parts per million, which is quite acceptable.
The Usage of Absolutes
Powerful aromas of absolutes have been traditionally widely used in the perfume sphere. However, it has recently become popular to use them in the aromatherapy. Because of their high concentration, absolutes should be used very carefully, since they can cause allergic reactions of different kinds.
The Most Popular Absolutes Used in Aromatherapy
• Jasmine absolute
• Lavender absolute
• Oakmoss absolute
• Rose absolute
• Lotus Absolute | 
