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Essential oils are an investment in your intuitive well-being. Some oils are also quite pricey, so you want to store them with love and respect. The price of oils depends greatly on how much plant material you need for that oil and how the oil is obtained. But I will explain that in another blog.

Now it’s about storing the oils. How do you best do that and what should you do and what should you not do? I will explain that to you in this blog.

Oxidation

The main cause of essential oils spoiling or deteriorating in quality is oxygen. As soon as you open a bottle of oil, the oil comes into contact with oxygen. Then the so-called oxidation process begins.

It is therefore important to close your bottle of oil tightly after use. This reduces the chance of more oxygen being added. By tightly closing the cap, you also reduce the chance that the oil will evaporate or that the bottle will leak.

Storing essential oils
Essential oils and sunlight

Sun

You may have noticed that oil bottles are always colored. The most common colors are blue or amber. This is not without reason. Essential oil hates sunlight. Sunlight causes the quality of your oil to deteriorate.

This colored glass already blocks a lot of sunlight. But you can give your oils a little extra help by storing them in a drawer or cupboard. This way you really keep out all the sunlight.

Also ensure a constant temperature in the room where you store your oils. You can simply store them at room temperature, although you will sometimes read that the most ideal temperature for your oils is between 14 and 18 degrees Celsius. But in principle room temperature is just fine. In general, the average room temperature is around 20/21 degrees. The most important thing is that it is not too hot. In addition to sunlight, oil also does not like too high temperatures, as the oil then evaporates faster. In addition, some oils are highly flammable, so a sweltering attic room or a south-facing sunroom with lots of glass are not the best places to store your oils. A dark room facing north is a better option.

Too much sunlight and heat can change the chemical composition of your oil, so be sure to keep this in mind. Also consider the temperature and sunlight if you want to take your oils with you on holiday.

How long does essential oil last?

You would think that because oil is a 100% natural product, your essential oil has an indefinite shelf life. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. The exact shelf life depends very much on the oil. Some, often expensive, oils can be compared to good wine. The scent only gets better with time. These are, for example, oils such as Rose or Jasmine. These can last 4 to 8 years.

Citrus oils generally have a shorter shelf life. But Frankincense, Neroli, Pine/Fir, Tea Tree and Lemongrass also have a slightly shorter shelf life than average. Allow about a year for the shelf life of these oils.

How long does essential oil last

On average, an essential oil lasts for about 2 years. After a year I would no longer recommend application to the skin, but the oil is still good for evaporating, for example. Fortunately, essential oils are not extremely fragile. Mainly because they have a natural anti-deterioration effect. Fungi and bacteria therefore have virtually no chance.

But they can indeed expire. You can recognize this by, among other things, a decrease in the smell, but then you must know very well what a scent should smell like. Sometimes you can also tell from looking at an oil, because some oils become cloudy when they are no longer good. Do you really want to be on the safe side? Then write down when you opened a bottle, so you can keep an eye on those 2 years yourself. The shelf life of an oil starts from the moment you open the bottle. Until then, the oil can in principle be kept indefinitely.

Louise Gebhardt

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