logo
logo
Sign in

How should you store your essential oils?

avatar
Moksha Lifestyle
How should you store your essential oils?

Essential oils are extracted from plants and trees: roots, bark, berries, nuts, fruit, wood, leaves, grasses & resins. These oils are commonly used in aromatherapy, or the therapeutic benefits of essential oils are not fully known or accepted by the medical community. However, other studies show that refined essential oils can play a key role in improving the quality of life for people with certain chronic conditions. Many oils are somewhat flexible, however, and will soon lose their aroma when exposed to wind, sunlight, or extreme temperature changes. If you buy, create, or combine essential oils, you will need to store them properly to ensure that they do not go down in quality.

Often, we are asked how best to store essential oils. While there are many ideas circulating in the aromatherapy community, all we can do is tell you our favorite procedure and what has worked for us.

The shelf life of essential oils

We are regularly asked, “What is the shelf life of this oil?” The answer to this question is very difficult to give because the essential oil is healthy on the various shelves based on the botanical temperature used, how it is extracted, how it is stored. For example, we have seen orange essential oil oxidized in one year when stored improperly, and 3+ years when stored properly and extracted from new botanicals.

The so-called ‘shelf life of natural products, such as essential oils, is very difficult to predict with certain certainty due to the abundance of variables. Essential oils are not the same as cream, cheese, or bread, which follows a predictable and rapid deterioration in the known period. The shelf life of essential oils is governed by chemical reactions, and anything that interferes with this stability will cause the oil to slow down. On the other hand, proper storage will extend the life of your oil shelf significantly. The key is to know your oil, know your essential oil company, and be confident.

What factors affect an oil's shelf life:

Heat: Because of the burning nature, Essential oils should not be stored near open flames in any heat or fire sources, such as sunlight, candles, and stoves. Leaving them at risk of high temperatures could lead to them reaching their different destinations, which is the same temperature at which the oil will burn. Frequent exposure to heat will accelerate oil decay.

Oxygen: When oil is exposed to air/oxygen, it becomes oxidized and its volatile elements begin to fade, meaning that their fragrance - among other qualities - is depleted. This is largely due to the fact that the cap of the oil bottles is left open for a long time. To prevent or reduce contact and evaporation processes, it is important that the bottles remain closed when Essential Oils can be used. Oxidized oils, while not recommended for topical use or aromatherapy, can also be used for other applications, such as house cleaning.

Light: When Essential Oils are kept in sunlit areas, their properties will be negatively impacted, and these include their aromas, appearances, and general effectiveness. Due to this reason, Essential Oils are sold and stored in dark-colored bottles (most often amber, although blue, green, violet, and black are also popular) to prevent UV rays from entering the bottle. Regardless of the dark color of the bottle, it is still best to avoid placing oils in direct sunlight, as the recurrent heating and cooling will facilitate the oils’ oxidation.

Moisture: Moisture can get into oil bottles when left unattended for long periods, leaving the oils looking cloudy. The inside of the bottles will also form water beads. Repeating, this can be prevented by keeping the bottles closed.

The optimum temperature for storage is 35 - 40 degrees. A refrigerator designated to store only your essential oils is ideal. Heat is a major culprit in the oxidation process of essential oils. Citrus essential oils are the most prone to oxidation, so to avoid damages, you should keep them in the refrigerator. Massage and most carrier oils will also benefit from this type of cold storage.

How can you tell if the essential oil has gone bad?

There are four main ways to tell if an Essential Oil has deteriorated:

  • Its aroma has become stronger and likely unpleasant or it has weakened, depending on the oil
  • It has changed in color and has become darker, lighter, or even colorless, depending on the oil
  • It appears murky/foggy
  • It has thickened inconsistency

Some best ways to store Essential oils

  1. Choose the right bottles.
  • Store your oils in dark glass bottles.
  • Make sure the caps are air-tight.
  • Use solid caps instead of rubber bulb-capped lids.
  1. Storing Oils In a Stable Environment
  • Keep stored oils out of direct sunlight.
  • Avoid heat sources.
  • Store oils in a refrigerator.
  • Keep the cap tightly closed on the bottle.
  • Consider investing in an aromatherapy storage box.
  • Avoid storing oils on easily damaged surfaces.
  1. Evaluating the Quality of Essential Oils
  • Check when oils were blended or bottled.
  • Check the label for higher-quality oil.
  • Look at the price of oils to assess their quality and purity.
collect
0
avatar
Moksha Lifestyle
guide
Zupyak is the world’s largest content marketing community, with over 400 000 members and 3 million articles. Explore and get your content discovered.
Read more