Moringa oil is oil gotten from the seeds of Moringa oleifera. This magic plant's seeds and oil are highly appreciated by many people. This is because this oil has a lot of benefits including health and cosmetic. Learn how to make Moringa oil without a machine at home.
Moringa oil is also known as Ben oil. You can get it from the seeds of Moringa oleifera. Moringa oleifera is the most common type of Moringa tree (there are other species of Moringa tree). It is also known as drumstick tree. Moringa tree is cultivated majorly in tropical areas, and it is now popular in Nigeria. It grows fast and can resist extended period of drought. Moringa tree is majorly grown for its pods and leaves. It produces long slender pods that contain seeds. These seeds are very nutritious. They are rich in vitamins B and C. The leaves of the Moringa tree is also highly nutritious. Some people eat the leaves raw because of its high medicinal value. You can consider planting miracle tree Moringa in your garden because it is easy to plant and has great value.
Moringa oil benefits;
● Antioxidant
● Antimicrobial
● Anti-inflammatory
● Disinfectant
● Anti-aging
● Emollient (skin moisturizing properties)
● Exfoliate (removes dead skin cells)
Uses includes:
● Making of soaps, shampoos and body washes (excellent skin cleansing and moisturizing effect).
● It can be utilised for cooking e.g. stir-fried dishes and marinades.
● Lubrication of small machine parts.
● Making of perfumes and fragrances.
● Also, it is used on the skin for treating some skin conditions like acne. Moringa oil has a lot of numerous applications.
Moringa oil extraction Moringa oil extraction can be done either by cold press method or by solvent extraction. Cold press method is the use of electrical extraction machine or manual hand press machine. Solvent extraction is a method applied based on the different solubility properties of two compounds. There are different ways of making Moringa oil by solvent extraction. But here is one simple way you can make Moringa oil at home quickly:
● After harvesting your seeds or buying them, put it in a pan and stir fry it till they turn dark brown.
● pour the moringa into a blender or grinder to crush the seeds.
● Pour the crushed Moringa seeds into a pot of hot water and boil them. Boil until the oil is visible on top. When you see the oil on top, you should cook it a little longer. You can cook for about 20 more minutes.
● After boiling, you can now skim off the oil and allow it to cool before you pour it into a container. Voila! Your oil is ready for use.
There are other ways of solvent extraction that can be carried out. They are mostly used for commercial purposes. The crushed Moringa oleifera seeds are heated in a flask containing hexane. After heating it, the hexane solvent is separated from the oil by distillation and then washing the mixture with saturated NaCl. If you are interested in the commercial way of solvent extraction, you will need to learn about it in details. Just follow the simple process above if you want to extract your oil at home and you don’t have a pressing machine.
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