May Gray has gone… June Gloom has passed… Hello July!

Our Southern California temperature has been cruising past the 80’s and lounging in the 90’s. Although it makes our plants (and people) much warmer, we welcome the sun and summer with open arms. Why? Because it means that our fields will be painted a variety of shades of pretty purples. Because when the afternoon breeze rolls through, we are surrounded by the cool air and the scent of lavender. We really cannot ask for a more perfect summer spot.

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Our lavender fields in bloom also mean that one of our biggest farm projects of the year is ready to begin: the lavender harvest. And that is what currently keeps us busy. Every morning, we put on our boots and farm hats and head out to our lavender fields. We cut the lavender stems in a repetitive motion to a silent beat in our heads, until over 80 crates are packed full. We then take our load over to the distiller, where our harvested lavender patiently waits for its turn for essential oil extraction.

Essential oils are volatile aromatic compounds that are contained in plants, where they serve to to ward off solar radiation, heat, cold, drought, and pests, and even helping the plant heal after physical injury. These pure oils can be extracted from the plant through a method of distillation. Essential oils have been used for thousands of years and are still commonly used today in various aspects of people’s lives including personal and home care, repellents, food, and health.

In order to produce the best quality essential oil from our lavender, we use a steam distillation method. Low-heat steam distillation is the most common way of extracting essential oils. Pressurized steam travels through the plant, liberating the essential oils and carrying them away.  The water and oils are separated by gravity in a separator can, which separates the water soluble parts (the hydrosol) and the fat soluble parts (the essential oil). Steam distillation is considered to be one of the cleanest methods and the best way to yield the most oil (Masango 2005). Still, it takes around 120 pounds of lavender to produce between 200-300 ml of oil! This is why our essential oils are so precious. We continue to use the low pressure, low temperature steam distillation method so that we can protect the beneficial components in the oil and produce a high quality oil. In addition to lavender, we also distill peppermint, tea tree, and rosemary in our distiller.

After the distillation process, we pour the essential oils into opaque glass containers and cover them with a cheese cloth. We then leave the oils to outgas for 2-3 months. Then, they are ready to be bottled or used in our 123 Farm products!

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Essential oils have traditionally been used medicinally, but recent scientific research in the chemical composition of essential oils has revealed the existence of therapeutic molecules in these oils (Dhifi 2016). Lavender essential oil is one of the most commonly used oils as it can be used in various aspects of our lifestyles. Many scientists have studied the effect lavender essential oil has on the nervous system, and concluded that the use of such essential oils has relieved symptoms including stress, anxiety, and depression (Lopez 2017, Karadag 2015). Another study revealed that lavender essential oil is made up of properties that can aid in pain relief and reduce inflammation (da Silva, Luft 2015). In North America and in Europe, some doctors even prescribe pure essential oils to their patients as part of their treatment plan to alleviate symptoms.

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Unfortunately, not all essential oils are equal. There are few regulations to induce honesty on labels, and essential oils are not regulated by the FDA, so “certified pure” is not necessarily a valid designation. Therefore, it is very important to be well informed when purchasing essential oils. If you are looking for a high quality,therapeutic lavender essential oil, some questions to ask are:

What kind of plant is the oil extracted from? (Lavandula Angustifoia is the highest grade lavender for therapeutic purposes).

Where was the lavender grown?

When was it harvested?

What kind of distillation process did the oil go through?

Doing a little background check on your essential oil is the best way to know what quality oil you are getting.

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Essential oils can be very beneficial and are not only limited to lavender.  It is interesting to see how different plant  oils each seem to have their own specialty. Peppermint is great to ward off insects and alleviate nausea. Tea tree works wonders on bug bites, rashes, and pimples. Rosemary is known for promoting circulation. Even different types of lavender contain different therapeutic compounds and levels; some are better for therapeutic purposes than others. All of us at 123 Farm love incorporating essential oils in our daily lives and encourage you to do so as well. Below, we have shared some notes on how we use various essential oils before bed.

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Essential Oil Sleep Routine

• A drop or two of tea tree essential oil on a developing pimple at the end of a nose.
• 2-3 drops of lavender essential oil and rosemary essential oil on knuckles to alleviate stiffness and pain.
• 2-3 drops of lavender essential oil around the temples for a good night’s sleep
• Mix around 10 drops of peppermint essential oil with a lavender or peppermint floral water and spray around your bed to keep those nasty mosquitos away.

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*Essential oils are 70 times more potent than the plants from which they are extracted. Some people have more sensitive skin, so we recommend using a carrier oil to dilute most essential oils. (The exceptions are lavender and tea tree essential oils which, in most cases do not need to be diluted.) We also recommend diluting all essential oils when applied to babies’ skin.*

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