How to Extract Essential Pine Tree Oil
Extracting essential pine tree oil is a simple process. Homemade pine tree essential oil can be used in making soaps, lotions, candles and more. When you make your own essential oils, you not only save money by eliminating the need to purchase costly store bought oils, but also ensure that the oil you use in your homemade products is fresh and of the highest quality.
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Things You'll Need
- 1/2 cup sweet almond oil
- 2 to 3 cups pine tree needles
- Large-mouth jar with lid
- Mortar and pestle
- Cheesecloth or fine-mesh cotton gauze
- Dark storage bottle with lid
Instructions
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1
Harvest fresh pine tree needles from the pine tree of your choice. Do not use old pine tree needles that have already fallen to the ground, as these are more likely to mold and ruin your essential oil.
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2
Clean the pine tree needles with warm water and a mild detergent soap to remove any contaminants that may be on the surface. To clean your needles, fill a container or your sink with warm, sudsy water. Place the needles into the sink and gently swish around to remove any dirt. Drain the water from the container or sink and rinse the needles well with clean water.
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3
Place the pine needles on a layer of paper towels to dry. Blot the needles with extra paper towels to remove all moisture from the surface.
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4
Place the pine needles into the mortar and pestle and gently bruise the leaves. If you are using a small pestle, bruise the needles in small batches until all of the needles are done.
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5
Pour the sweet almond oil into the large-mouth glass jar. Add all of the pine needles to the jar. Cap the jar tightly and gently shake to coat the pine needles with the sweet almond oil.
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6
Store the jar in a warm room with an ambient temperature of at least 75 degrees Fahrenheit, out of direct sunlight.
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7
Shake the jar at least once a day for at least a week. After one week, store the jar in a dark location and allow the pine tree essential oil to age for 10 to 14 days. Do not shake the jar during this period.
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Remove the oil from the dark location, shake, and strain the oil through a piece of cheesecloth or fine-mesh cotton gauze. Squeeze the gauze to drain as much of the pine tree essential oil out as possible.
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Store the homemade pine tree essential oil in a dark bottle with an air-tight lid to help it remain as fresh as possible and avoid the risk of contamination.
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Tips & Warnings
Experiment with different pine tree species for a variety of pine tree oil scents.
Use non-scented carrier oil such as apricot kernel oil, grapeseed oil or safflower oil if you are unable to find sweet almond oil.
Do not ingest homemade essential oils.
Do not use pine tree needles that show signs of disease.
Discard pine tree essential oil after 10 to 12 months.
