What Are Absolutes?
Absolutes are
highly concentrated aromatic liquids extracted from plants. They are extracted
in a complex manner. Absolute distillation requires the use of chemical
solvents that are later removed during the final stages of production, thus
culminating in a more concentrated essence.
There are reasons
for producing absolutes. Many times steam distillation of a plant by steam
does not extract as much natural oil from the plant, or in some cases, breaks
down the precious natural oil in delicate flowers. The solvent extraction
methods are often used in these cases.
As a rule,
absolutes are more concentrated than a similar essential oil. Being more
concentrated, an absolute goes much further then the essential oil counterpart.