What Is An Essential Oil & How Is It Produced?
Essential Oils are the fragrant chemical components of aromatic plants.
When steam distillation is used in the manufacture and extraction of essential oils, the botanical material is placed in a still and steam is forced over the material.
Distillation converts the volatile liquid (the essential oils) into a vapour and then condenses the vapour back into a liquid. The hot steam helps to release the aromatic molecules from the plant material since the steam forces open the pockets in which the oils are kept in the plant material. The molecules of these volatile oils then escape from the plant material and evaporate into the steam.
Even though BioAfrica was not around when the first chamomile was successfully distilled in Egypt more than 5000 years ago, the distillation principle remains the same. Fortunately, BioAfrica has vastly improved the process, material handling and energy efficiency.
Growing Essential Oils
BioAfrica specializes in medical herb farming and the development of quality seeds. We promote farming methods geared towards high yield, high return products. Our company's methods promote integrated farming with nature so that both are sustained whilst maintaining high yields for products that are in demand throughout the world. Visit BioAfrica's Growing Essential Oils section that contains valuable information for the potential BioFarmer as well as for the general browser.
Visit the BioAfrica Website for more information on Growing Essential Oil Plants
Contract Farming System
BioAfrica have the skills and knowledge relating to the obtaining and planting of plants containing essential oils as well as the harvesting and processing thereof and the extraction of the essential oils from such plant material. Farmers and Communities with sufficient land and if desirous to allow BioAfrica to utilise such land to grow enough plants or sustainable wild harvest medicinal plants, they can harvest and produce sufficient quantities of essential oil to meet the demand of the market.
Visit the BioAfrica Website for more information on Contract Farming
Plant Profiles
Visit BioAfrica's Plant Profiles section which contain detailed information on the tried and tested methods on how to grow essential oils. As BioAfrica has gathered an immense amount of data on the entire range of essential oils plants that we grow, a selection of plants have been provided with some differing information for each. The Geranium profile contains detailed disease and pests for instance. Make sure to look at the farmers favourites Chamomile and Marjoram while browsing the section as well as South Africa's Indigenous Wonder Artemisia Afra that is making a huge comeback as a medicinal herb with the help of BioAfrica's "It's Good For Me" Product Range.
BioSeed
The secret to successful essential oils production is the correct genetic material - the seed or root stock. BioAfrica sells many different seeds. It is important to have the correct Genotype but the correct Chemotype makes profit. BioAfrica produces and imports seeds, and all seeds are strictly & independently germination tested and full Phytosanitary certificates are provided.
Visit the BioAfrica Website for more information on BioSeed
Distillation
View BioAfrica's range of distillation equipment that can be hand crafted for your distillation requirements. BioAfrica has designed and built many Biostills for our happy customers and continue to research new and more efficient distillation methods.