Essential oils can oxidise, deteriorate and lose their beneficial therapeutic properties over time so it is important to store and look after them properly. Here’s how.
Brown and blue glass is best
Clear glass won’t harm an essential oil but it won’t protect it from the sunlight either, which is sort of like sending your skin out into the sun without any SPF – bad things can happen. The best way to extend the life of essentials oils as long as possible is to store them in amber or cobalt blue bottles. These dark colours help to keep out sunlight, which deteriorates essential oils quickly. Aluminium bottles are said to be ok too, as long as the bottle is lined. But never store essential oils in plastic bottles as essential oils will eat through plastic – which could get messy!
Add a stopper
Ditch the rubber dropper that many essential oils come with and add a little plastic stopper instead. Also known as an orifice reducer, this is a stopper made with plastic strong enough to withstand exposure to essential oils (unlike those rubber droppers). Once inserted, these little wonders will dispense oil drop by drop.
Keep them in the dark
Ok, so it doesn’t have to be pitch black, but don’t go putting your essential oils in pride of place in your salon window. They just don’t like it; they prefer a cupboard. They also like that cupboard to be dry.
Keep them cool
Essential oils don’t like the heat so store them somewhere cool. Also make sure they won’t be exposed to dramatic temperature fluctuations. Actually, you can even keep them in the fridge.
Keep the lid on!
You’re busy, we get it, but keep the lid of your essential oils tightly screwed on will help stop them from evaporating. Also if you have bought an oil in a big bottle, decant it into a smaller one as you use it. This will stop your essential oil from being exposed to too much oxidising air.
Know your oils
And use them accordingly. All essential oils oxidise and eventually lose their therapeutic value. In fact, some oils, such as citrus oil, will oxidise and lose their aroma and therapeutic properties in as little as six to 12 months so don’t buy them in bulk and use them up while you can. On the other hand, some thicker, more viscous oils, such as vetiver, patchouli and sandalwood, actually get better with age, so you can keep some longer term. Still, a general rule is, most essential oils have a shelf life of about 12 months, so purchase what you will use in a year, not ten.
Keep track
A good way to keep track of how old your essential oils are, is to mark the bottle with the date you bought them. Also keep the older essential oils front and centre so you’re more likely to reach for them.
Have your say: Do you have any tips on how you store your essential oils.