The idea of wasting essential oils because of improper storage is one you shouldn’t need to worry about. Storing your essential oils properly isn’t very difficult, and it can save you a lot of money and hassle in the long run. Use some of these storage tips to extend the shelf life of your essential oils so that you never again have to worry about wasting them. With these tips, anyone should be able to make their essential oils last a long time, even if they use them infrequently.
Minimize Exposure to Oxygen
Oxygen is an essential oil’s worst enemy. The volatile components that make an essential oil so powerful can easily disappear when exposed to too much oxygen, which causes the oil to break down prematurely. To combat this phenomenon, always ensure that the lids to your essential oil containers are on tight. You also want to make sure the lid is always on if you aren’t actively using the essential oil.
You also don’t want to keep your oils in containers that are much bigger than the amount of oil you have left. A little bit of room in the container is fine, but once the amount of oil starts to noticeably decrease, you’ll end up leaving a lot of extra air in that container. Keep your oils in small containers to reduce oxygen exposure.
Keep Them at the Right Temperature
One of the best storage tips to extend your essential oils’ shelf life is to know at what temperature you should keep them. The right temperature is actually a little colder than some people think—somewhere around 35 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Refrigerators are useful for this purpose, but you should either use a small, dedicated fridge for them or make sure they stay far away from your food. Some essential oils are ingestible, but many are not, so they shouldn’t be near edible products.
Don’t Use Dropper Caps as Lids
Dropper caps can be useful for doling out portions of essential oils, but you shouldn’t leave them submerged in the essential oil when you’re not using it. Over time, rubber droppers can actually break down when in contact with certain elements of the oil. As they break down, the droppers can release certain chemicals that can spoil your expensive oils.
For a wide selection of some of the best organic essential oils in Canada, Escents Aromatherapy is where you need to be. Our store has tons of options for essential oils, both premixed and pure if you’d rather create your own blends.
