How is essential oil separated from the water phase during extraction?

• A. Distillation
• B. Cold pressing
• C. Solvent extraction
• D. Enfleurage

Answer: (A)

Distillation, specifically steam distillation, is used because essential oils are volatile and can be carried away by steam without needing high heat. As steam passes through the plant material, it releases the volatile compounds into the vapor. When that vapor condenses, you get a mixture of water and essential oil. Since essential oils and water do not mix, they separate into distinct layers, and the oil layer can be collected. This approach leverages both volatility and immiscibility to achieve the separation cleanly and with less thermal damage to the delicate oils. Other methods like cold pressing, solvent extraction, or enfleurage rely on different principles and don’t produce the same water-oil separation step.