{"id":182508,"date":"2025-09-22T14:18:44","date_gmt":"2025-09-22T12:18:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ainia.com\/?p=182508"},"modified":"2026-04-10T10:53:41","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T09:53:41","slug":"enfleurage-method-and-innovative-alternatives-to-traditional-extraction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ainia.com\/en\/ainia-news\/enfleurage-method-and-innovative-alternatives-to-traditional-extraction\/","title":{"rendered":"Enfleurage method and innovative alternatives to traditional extraction"},"content":{"rendered":"

Essential oils are volatile compounds that contain the aromatic essence of plants and flowers. Their extraction is a key process in sectors such as cosmetics, food and pharmaceuticals. Various technologies are available for obtaining them, depending on the type of raw material and the properties that need to be preserved.<\/p>\n

Over time, different techniques have been developed to extract essential oils, ranging from artisanal methods to high-precision technologies. In this article, we explore two very different approaches: the enfleurage method<\/strong>, one of the oldest and most delicate techniques, and supercritical CO\u2082 extraction<\/strong><\/a>, a modern, safe and highly efficient alternative.<\/p>\n

What is <\/span>enfleurage<\/span> method?<\/span> <\/span>Essential<\/span> oil<\/span> extraction<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

The enfleurage method<\/strong> is an extraction technique that uses an odorless fat to capture the volatile aromatic compounds found in flowers. There are two variations: cold enfleurage and hot enfleurage, with the cold version being the most widely known.<\/p>\n

The process involves spreading a layer of fat onto flat glass trays (chassis<\/em>) and covering it with fresh flower petals. These petals are periodically replaced until the fat becomes saturated with aromatic compounds. The saturated fat is then treated with ethanol to extract the absorbed aromas. Once the alcohol is evaporated, the final product, an absolute with high aromatic concentration, is obtained.<\/p>\n

Innovative al<\/span>te<\/span>r<\/span>natives <\/span>to<\/span> t<\/span>he<\/span> traditi<\/span>onal<\/span> extraction<\/span> of<\/span> essenti<\/span>al<\/span> oi<\/span>ls<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Compared to the enfleurage method, there are more suitable processes for industrial applications that demand high standards of quality, reproducibility and safety. The most commonly used techniques include:<\/p>\n