L’ Enfleurage

Pythochemistry – 1 (PG504) 22/23

Mariam Mohamed Mostafa 20201350
Sarah Atef Mahmoud 20201172
En·fleur·age
NOUN
The extraction of essential oils and
perfumes from flowers using
odourless animal or vegetable fats.

ORIGIN
Mid 19th century: French, from
“enfleurer”: ‘saturate with the
perfume from flowers’.
History
1
 . History .
Greece
France; Grasse

Rome

Ancient 2000 B.C

Egypt • Maceration of flowers in
oil.
• Soaking the petals in
grease.
 . History .
France; Grasse
• In mid 18th century, in France;
Grasse, enfleurage became
increasingly important.
• It became an industrial process for
the extraction of volatile oils from
fragile and delicate flowers, for the
manufacturing of perfumes.
• They also introduced the use of
volatile solvents for the extraction
forming concretes as a final
product.
 2

Process
 . Process .
Application
• Aromatic flowers (cold & hot).
• For delicate flowers, eg: Jasmine (cold).
• For thermolabile oils.
Principle
• Extraction of oil from
flowers by fats, then
Types
treatment by alcohol.
• Hot enfleurage.
• Cold enfleurage.
 Cold vs. Hot

ColdCold Hot
• Jasmine, daffodil, tuberose, • Rose, carnation,
other● fragile
List yourflowers.
competitor’s ● List your competitor’s
hyacinth, and other heat
• Equipment: chassis.
strengths here weaknesses here
resistant flowers.
● List your competitor’s ● List your competitor’s
• Solid fat (highly purified
strengths here • Fats in liquid
weaknesses here state (75%
animal or your
● List vegetable fat).
competitor’s ● porkcompetitor’s
List your fat; 25% beef fat).
• At room temperature.
strengths here • Heatinghere
weaknesses in a water bath.
• Time:● long; could
List your take
competitor’s ● between
List your 40-60°C .
competitor’s
months (60 days
strengths – 72 days).
here • Time: short;
weaknesses here 24hrs.
 . Procedure of Hot Enfleurage .
Step 01
Heat solid fat to a Step 02
medium heat (40-60 °C)
on water bath. Stir the flowers into the
molten fat.

Step 03
Strain the fat and replace
with fresh flowers, until
the fat is saturated to
obtain pomade.
 . Procedure of Cold Enfleurage .
Step 01 Step 02
Preparation of flowers: On the chassis, spread
Fresh, clean, moisture highly pure fat ( to avoid
free. rancidity ).

Step 03 Step 04
Carefully place the petals Replace the flowers every
or whole flowers on top 2-3 days (keep in cool,
of the grease. dark and dry place).

Step 05 Step 06
After the saturation of fat, Treat the pomade with alcohol
final removal of flowers to separate the flower oil, allow
(defleurage); to obtain to evaporate to obtain
pomade. absolute.
 . Disadvantages .

Low yield but Large

1 amount of materials 2 Manual technique.
are required.

Very long process Very difficult to

3 (months).
4 maintain the room
temperature
stable.
P.S: Today the enfleurage technique is replaced by volatile
solvent extraction and CO2. Enfleurage is rarely used today.
 . Important Terminology .

Term Definition

sheets of glass and mounted into large rectangular

Chassis wooden frame where the fat is spread.

Solid aromatic fat; the direct product of

Pomade enfleurage.

Fragrant semi-solid obtained from the treatment

Absolute of pomade by ethyl alcohol and allowing it to
evaporate.

Fragrant semi solid obtained by volatile solvent

Concrete extraction.
Thank
You!