From Grass Roots to Essential Oil: Vetiver Oil Extraction and Understanding the Grades of It
Vetiver essential oil comes from the thick, aromatic roots of a tall, lush grass native to India. Through distillation, these fibrous roots yield one of the world’s most treasured essential oils. However, the extraction method and vetiver root quality dramatically affect the ultimate oil properties and grade.
Let’s take a look at traditional vetiver farming, harvesting practices, distillation techniques and how they produce two distinct grades of this exotic essential oil.
Vetiver Oil Grass Cultivation and Harvest
Vetiver is a dense, wild grass that grows in warm, tropical climates across south Asia and Indonesia. For essential oil use, vetiver gets cultivated in large farms and cut every 12-18 months allowing the intricate root systems to mature.
Ideal vetiver growing conditions include flooded, acidic wetlands. The pale green leaves can reach 1-2 meters tall. When ready for harvest after at least a full season’s growth, the leaves get sheared off, leaving the valuable roots intact in the soil.
Next, harvesters will dig up the vetiver roots by hand. The tangled clusters of earth-crusted roots then get washed, trimmed and readied for distillation. Older, thicker roots with higher oil content yield better quality vetiver essential oil.
Low-Pressure Distillation for Fine Vetiver perfume Oil
Clean vetiver roots then undergo steam distillation to extract the essential oil. This first grade of vetiver essential oil gets produced using low-pressure distillation for 1-2 hours.
The gentle process slowly coaxes the fine, aromatic compounds from the vetiver roots. As steam percolates through the roots, it vaporizes the volatile vetiver essential oil which gets carried through condensation tubes.
The distillate collects in a Florentine flask which allows the essential oil to separate from the hydrosol. This lower pressure, slower distillation renders a light amber oil with a sophisticated, woody-earthy aroma and viscosity ranging from medium to thick.
High-Pressure Distillation Creating Commercial Vetiver Oil
For higher-volume commercial production, a quicker high-pressure distillation gets done. Lesser quality dried roots typically get used.
Modern distillers pump and condense steam through the vetiver roots at higher pressure and heat for shorter time periods of 15-45 minutes.
This aggressive approach forces more oil from the cellular material but also extracts some harsher constituents. The resulting essential oil is darker brown in color with a woodier, smokier, and more bitter aroma considered lower grade.
Key Differences Between Vetiver Oil Types
- Color - Fine vetiver oil is light amber; commercial is dark brown
- Aroma - Fine vetiver features multi-layered, earthy, balsamic notes; commercial has a harsh, smoky wood scent
- Taste - Fine vetiver is subtle, slightly sweet and peppery; commercial is very bitter
- Texture - Fine vetiver oil is thick and viscous; commercial grade is thinner
- Chemical composition - Fine oil has more sesquiterpenes; commercial has higher amounts of vetivenene and khusimene
- Shelf life - Fine vetiver lasts decades; commercial vetiver goes rancid faster
So whether soaked up slowly or rapidly flash boiled out, vetiver roots surrender a precious essential oil. But only careful, artisanal distillation can extract every beautiful nuance vetiver offers perfumers and aromatherapists. With this grass, refinement springs from deep roots.
Try Free Vetiver Oil Now
If you want to try vetiver oil for your perfume oil needs, don't hesitate to contact us. We will provide solutions for you, both low pressure and high pressure types of vetiver oil. Almost all over the world, vetiver oil is used as one of the base notes for perfumes in the world because it has a very unique and characteristic fragrance.
We also provide private labels for all types of essential oils which you can later use for various types. Come on, contact us now and start partnering with a trusted essential oil supplier from Indonesia
