From the seeds to our final products, every aspect of our production chain is taken with consideration for people and our planet. Our knowledge and methods ensure that each formula is produced with the utmost respect for nature. This helps guarantee that we’re leaving a light footprint on the planet, while simultaneously enriching the lives of the people who live on it.

Cultivation

From sowing to harvesting, we pay close attention to cultivating the highest quality raw ingredients while respectfully caring for people and nature.

Seeds

The quality of our formulas ultimately depends on the quality of seeds selected to grow the plants providing our raw ingredients. Our plants are grown from the best botanical species and sub-species and the healthiest seeds. We care about transparency and are able to track each product’s production process from seed to bottle, by tracing the charge number.

Cultivation

Our work relies on a worldwide community of farmers who understand the principles of environmentally responsible cultivation. Our Farm Partners often come from families and communities that have been passing down knowledge and techniques for generations, giving them an exceptional understanding of the specific plants, climate and soil, they are working with. Every plant is cultivated in its native country, where it unfolds its full potential without our intervention.

Harvest

Our plants are all harvested according to their distinctive requirements and growing conditions. This means that different plants are harvested in different ways. Roses, for example, are hand-picked at dawn because that is when their fragrance is strongest, while lavender needs to be harvested at mid-day because its essential oils are most abundant under the high sun.

Our Farm Partnerships

Extraction

Our oils are extracted locally, right after they got harvested. In order to successfully retrieve the purest plant ingredients possible, we use plant-specific methods of extraction.

ESSENTIAL OILS

Depending on the nature of the plant, essential oils are extracted through various methods from the plants blossoms, leaves, twigs or even the entire plant.

Steam Distillation

The most common method of extracting essential oils is the process of steam distillation, requiring a high skill and experience level in order to reach highest quality oils. Plant material is carefully layered into the so-called “Alambique” container, before passing hot steam through. The steam extracts and stores the fine essential oil drops from the plant and is then cooled down in a chilled tube where it condenses. The condensed floral water and essential oil is collected in a vessel, in which the oil naturally separates from the plant water. Essential oil is lighter than water and floats to the top surface, where it can be extracted easily. Duration of the process, steam pressure and temperature have a big impact on the quality of the oils, demanding a high experience level.

Cold Pressing

Cold pressing is used to extract the essential oils from citrus peels such as orange, lemon, grapefruit and bergamot. The essential oils are stored in little oil glands, clearly visible in the citrus peels. The peels are separated from the fruit, ground, chopped, mixed with water and eventually pressed. The result is a watery mixture of essential oil and floral water which will separate over time, allowing the extraction of the essential oil. At times, our citrus oils may show a light haze, created by their natural wax components. This is a significant sign of purity and highest quality. For citrus oils it is particularly important to cultivate plants without any pesticides, as they would greatly pollute the essential oil.

Alcohol Extraction

Certain essential oils (e. g. vanilla, cacao, honeycomb) can only be extracted by using a solvent such as alcohol. These extracts are often used in the production of natural perfumes and beauty products, or for flavoring foods, liqueurs or drinks. Sometimes the first encounter with the fragrance of such extracts can be confusing, as the scent of alcohol distracts from the plants fragrance. Also, natural extracts are much softer than common artificial food flavors such as vanilla or honey.

Hexane Extraction

Several precious flower oils (e. g. jasmine, tuberose, mimosa, gorse, pinkster lily) are too tender to be extracted through steam distillation or alcohol extraction. Modern chemical solvents such as hexane are used to obtain the precious fragrances from the delicate flowers. In the first step, a thick balm called “Concréte” is obtained, that is then solved with alcohol and distilled in vacuum. We eventually obtain the concentrated liquid „Absolue“, that is very rich in fragrance and often needs to be diluted in order to fully unfold its particular flowery character.

Co Distillation

In the particular procedure of co distillation with certain carrier plants (e. g. cedar) it is possible to extract the fragrances of special plants such as algae, hay or stinging nettle.

Floral Waters

Floral waters are obtained as a precious byproduct in the steam distillation process of essential oils. The flower water contains valuable water-soluble components and small traces of essential oil. Since the chemical properties and composition of the floral water is different from the essential oil’s, its fragrance also differs, even though both substances are extracted from the exact same plant. Floral water has excellent characteristics and offers a gentle form of aromatherapy.

Base Oils

Base oils are obtained by extracting the fatty components from the plants, such as the seeds, kernels or fruits. The two main methods of extraction are cold pressing and maceration.

Cold Pressing

Our base oils are extracted through the gentle process of cold pressing, capturing a high percentage of nourishing unsaturated fatty acids and precious active components. The oils are cold pressed from the chopped plant material without any heat and carefully filtered.
In the alternative process of hot pressing that often results in a higher yield, many important active components and the natural aromas get lost. Cold pressing allows us to extract all natural ingredients in the process.

Maceration

Some base oils can only be produced through the process of maceration. Fresh or dried plant material is immersed in a neutral cold pressed oil, in which it marinates for a longer time span. The plant material is filtered out to obtain the macerated base oil.
In this process, all liposoluble ingredients of the plant merge into the oil, transporting precious and powerful active components into our products. Popular base oils that are typically produced by maceration are Calendula and St. John’s wort.

Processing

The processing of our precious raw ingredients is handled with high expertise and takes place exclusively at our headquarters in Oy-Mittelberg, in Southern Germany. Expert knowledge in product development, synergetic production flow and high standards in our quality management are important aspects in producing our highest quality products.

Storage

Appropriate storage of plant ingredients is essential to preserving the benefits and life force of each plant. We store all ingredients in our custom-built oil storage in airtight containers, kept at a cool temperature and protected from light. Temperature controls are imposed on a regular basis.

Formulas

We personally blend all of our formulas by hand. We view blending as an art and take pride in how we preserve the vital energy of our raw plant ingredients in our products to best enhance their benefits for the body. We believe that plants are nature’s messengers and that each plant ingredient we use brings a unique set of qualities to a formula. Our careful study has given us great insight into the art of blending formulas that impart therapeutic effects while pleasing the senses. Over the years we have gained a thorough grasp on how different plants work together, addressing specific needs and holistically enhancing well-being.

Bottling & Labeling

All of our products are bottled, blended and manufactured exclusively at our home location in Germany. This allows us to minimize oxygen exposure, which can compromise freshness. Our special filling protocol ensures, that only the freshest possible formulas reach our customers. PRIMAVERA essential oils and blends follow various legal guidelines and are labeled accordingly.

Quality Management

Our in-house chemists monitor the physical and microbiological properties of all PRIMAVERA ingredients in our lab and use our gas chromatograph and mass spectroscope to analyze the chemical makeup of substances. Independent institutions including NaTrue, Demeter, BCS Öko-Garantie GmbH and ISO ensure that stringent and objective standards are upheld. By tracing the charge number, we have the possibility to track each product’s production process for our customers, from seed to bottle.

Quality Management

Declaration

Information about the duty of declaration for essential oils in the EU

Essential oils are highly concentrated plant substances. Depending on the purpose of use, different laws apply, dictating a specific declaration on the product labels.
As soon as essential oils are used in a diffuser or any other device for air freshening, they are classified as “utensil” and fall under the Commodities Act. From this perspective, the essential oil is categorized and declared by terms of the Law of Chemical Substances and the EU guidelines REACH and CLP. The product label must show the appropriate danger symbols, including danger and security advice.
When the essential oil is used for external application on the skin or in the mouth area, it classifies as cosmetic product. It now falls under EU guideline for cosmetic products. Again, the appropriate declaration on the product label is dictated legally binding by law. The declaration details include information about application and dosage.
Certain essential oils can be ingested and are therefore suitable for food flavoring. In this case, various food laws are the guiding institution such as the flavor regulations.

In conclusion, the EU regulations determine that one single purpose of use must be chosen for each individual product and labelled accordingly. It is not allowed to attribute more than one purpose of use to one single product.

„I love our PRIMAVERA products, because we work together WITH nature. We give back to it all that we take.“

Martina Rota

Aroma Expert Consulting

Production

Cultivation

Extraction

ESSENTIAL OILS

Floral Waters

Base Oils

Processing

Declaration

Martina Rota