Plant extracts are used in a variety of skin care products because they contain beneficial components such as oils, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. With many plants, manufacturers can obtain beneficial extracts from all parts of the plant, including the leaves, flowers, seeds, nuts, fruit, or bark. By definition, extraction is the separation of medicinally active portions of a plant, leaving behind any residue that cannot be used. There are many methods to extract these active portions of the plant, for example, solvent extraction, distillation method, pressing, and sublimation. Cold pressing is considered to be the best method for extracting active components from the plant. A cold press compacts plant parts (i.e. seeds, nuts, etc.) between two plates, releasing their natural oil. Applying heat to the plant as it is being pressed can speed up the process and produce more oil; the downside is that this heat can also break down the nutritional content and reduce the extract’s effectiveness.