I recently performed a hydrodistillation of plant material in the lab to extract essential oil. However, after the distillation, the oil and water did not form distinct layers. Instead, I observed the formation of tiny oil droplets suspended throughout the aqueous phase.

I've tried letting the mixture sit, but the layers are still not clearly separating. What methods can I use to effectively separate the oil phase from the water in such cases?

Any suggestions or protocols would be greatly appreciated.