Agarwood Oil Extraction:
The most important aspect when extracting the essential oil is to ensure that the fungus inoculated in the tree is at least 8-12 years old in order to obtain the oil. The extraction process is carried out through water or steam distillation. At the first stage of steam distillation process, the Agarwood is immersed in water for one-three months. Then, the soaked wood is placed in huge boilers where the water evaporates along with the resin and collected in condenser. The steam extraction method is more popular in the East – Asian countries.
Water Distillation Process:
Water distillation is the process for obtaining essential oils. In this method, Agarwood chips are fully submerged in water, producing a wood ‘soup’, followed by boiling process in huge boilers. The steam containing the aromatic plant molecules is captured and condensed, and the oil floats to the top of the distilled water component. When the condensed material cools down, the oil and hydrosol are separated and the essential oil is obtained.
This method protects the oil extracted to a certain degree, since the surrounding water acts as a barrier to prevent it from overheating. Water distillation can be performed at a reduced pressure (a vacuum) to lower the temperature to less than 100°C, which is useful in protecting plant material as well as the essential oil. Though water distillation is the most common method for extracting and isolating the oils for perfumery, the high temperatures can also destroy the most delicate fragrance molecules, so water distillation tends to be the more preferred method. However, it is a time consuming process and needs large amounts of plant material.
Steam Distillation Process:
Steam distillation is considered the best method for the extraction and isolation of essential oils. The plant material is placed in a boiler unit and steam is passed through it. The heat opens the pores of the plant that contains the aromatic molecules or oils. Once open, the plant releases these aromatic molecules and in this state, the fragrant molecules are able to rise along with the steam. The vapors carrying these molecules travel within a closed system towards the cooling device. Cold water is used to cool the vapor. As the vapor cools, it condenses and is transformed into a liquid state. Afterwards, the liquid is collected in a container and as with any type of oil/water mixture, it separates. The oils float towards the top while the water settles below. The oil is highly condensed and used in aromatherapy. These two processes determine the amount, quality and aroma of oil produced. Approximately 8,000-10,000 kg of Agarwood is needed to produce one liter of oil. Pure Agarwood oil has a light yellow to brownish liquid color appearance, a sweet aromatic scent, a pH value of 6.8 – 13.2 and is soluble in alcohol. The main contents are sesquiterpenes, phenyl ethyl chromones and others like selinene, eudesmene. The quality of the oil can be tested by using a Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS).
Benefits of Agarwood oil:
Agarwood oil has warming, balancing, purifying, and transcendent qualities and therefore it blends well with other essential oils, particularly with jasmine, rose, carnation, geranium, and sandalwood. European countries use it as a perfume (e.g. Yves Saint Laurent, ErmenegildoZegnaOud Perfume) and beauty ingredients (soap, shampoo). In some Middle-Eastern countries it is sprinkled on wedding invitations. It is also used in Buddhist and Hindu cultural occasions.
Agarwood oil is useful in nervous disorders, digestive, bronchial complaints, smallpox, rheumatism, illness during and after childbirth, spasms in the digestive and respiratory systems, fevers, abdominal pain, asthma, cancer, colic, diarrhea, nausea, regurgitation, weakness in the elderly, shortness of breath, chills, general pains and cirrhosis of the liver. Besides its curative effects, aromatherapy is another facet as it has the ability to invoke a deep sense of relaxation making it extremely useful in any aromatherapy session. It can be applied directly to your skin and is also non-sticky. Furthermore it also has therapeutic impact and is highly psychoactive as it enhances mental clarity, opens the third eye and all of the upper chakras while calming the entire system (medicine / ayurveda). It is also an ingredient for traditional medicine, especially in Japan and China.
Using a special steam method inherited from the Chowdhury family in India. We carefully extract the Agarwood oil from the AquilariaMalaccensis grown in our own plantations in the Lao PDR.
This extraction and filtering process using pure steam enables the removal of all impurities. Our oil is guaranteed 99 % pure and 100 % chemical-free and hence the strong demand for our products.