Blue Lotus Absolute Oil

Nymphaea nouchali , often known by its synonym Nymphaea stellata , or by common names Blue Lotus, Blue Water Lily, Blue Star Water Lily or Manel flower is a water lily of genus Nymphaea . Blue Lotus is native to southern and eastern parts of Asia. This species is considered to include the Blue Egyptian Lotus, N. nouchali var. caerulea. The aromatic compounds of Blue Lotus cannot be attained by steam-distillation. Blue Lotus flowers cannot tolerate the heat required for steam distillation, and mechanical pressing will not produce any oil. The only way to release the aromatic compounds of Blue Lotus and other similar delicate plants is to introduce a solvent. Aromatic, concentrated oils from plants derived by introduction of a solvent are referred to as an “Absolute”. Absolutes are similar to essential oils. Both essential oils and absolutes are natural oils produced by plant matter. To produce an absolute, the plant material is placed into a drum and introduced to a solvent along with gentle heat. The solvent is then removed , which leaves behind a resin known as a concrète or resinoid. This resin is then treated with alcohol to separate the aromatic compounds. An absolute is the most concentrated form of plant material, and may be thicker in consistency than an essential oil produced by steam-distillation.