My First Lavender Essential Oil Distillation Experience

This year,  after having the large harvest last year - I finally decided to take on something I’ve dreamed about for a long time — extracting my own lavender essential oil. After several seasons of growing lavender, I had an abundance of flowers that weren’t ideal for making bunches — the stems were short, but the blossoms were still perfect for oil or buds. It felt like the right time to give distillation a try!

During the winter, I invested in a small 20-liter stainless steel distiller, and yesterday I ran my very first distillation session. Like any first attempt, it was a bit messy, slightly overwhelming, and definitely more time-consuming than I expected. But it was also incredibly satisfying.

After about three hours of distillation, I proudly collected my first 10 milliliters of pure, homegrown lavender essential oil! It might not sound like much, but holding that little bottle of golden, fragrant oil — knowing it came entirely from my own lavender plants — felt amazing.

To compare, I dug out a small bottle of lavender oil I had purchased online last year. The label didn’t even list where it was made — just that it was “Imported by nowfoods.com.” When I compared the scent, the difference was striking. My own oil had a fresh, natural aroma that truly captured the essence of the lavender field. The store-bought one smelled… well, a bit flat and artificial in comparison.

And as a wonderful bonus, I now have a large amount of lavender hydrosol — the fragrant water that’s left after distillation. It smells fantastic and has many potential uses. I’m already brainstorming ideas: maybe a natural air freshener, insect repellent, or linen spray. It’s exciting to discover how nothing goes to waste in this process.

So yes — my first lavender distillation might have been messy and modest in yield, but it was absolutely worth it. It’s another small step toward making the most of what we grow, and I couldn’t be prouder of my little bottle of “liquid lavender sunshine.”