What is a concrete, resinoid and an absolute?

Sometimes these three terms get a bit confusing, so we decided to try and make it simpler.

During solvent extraction the substances extracted during the solvent extraction method are placed in a distillation vessel and gentle heat is applied. This heat is just enough to recover the solvent still in the mixture (the solvent is re-used), and no volatile constituents of the oil are driven off.

Concrete

What is left after the solvent has been removed is a near solid wax-like substance called a 'concrete'. Should resinous botanical material have been used to extract, the result would be called a 'resinoid' instead of a 'concrete'.

Absolute

An absolute is made by taking a concrete and melting it by warming with some alcohol and then stirring it.

The essential oil, some waxes, fixed oils and fats then dissolve in the alcohol.

The alcohol mixture is then distilled in a vacuum to remove the alcohol, and the remaining substance is an 'absolute'.

An absolute is the most concentrated form of fragrance (and the most costly), and is mostly used in the perfume industry.

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