Why is enfleurage useful for flowers whose scent changes in steam?

Enfleurage is a useful extraction method for flowers that do not yield a significant quantity of oil through steam distillation or whose scent is altered by contact with boiling water and steam.1

Because steam distillation involves high temperatures that can degrade or change the delicate aromatic profile of certain blossoms, enfleurage provides a gentler alternative. In this process, flowers are placed over a layer of purified fat—typically a mixture of tallow and lard—which absorbs the flower's essential oils over a period of 24 to 72 hours. By avoiding the heat and moisture of steam, this method preserves the natural, characteristic scent of the plant, which is later recovered from the fat using alcohol.12