There's a lot of varying information about how essential oils should be stored, and what their shelf lives might be. Should you store them in a dark cool place? Refrigerate them? Make sure they all get used in a few months, or don't worry about it because "pure essential oils" last forever? The truth is, the answer to these questions depends completely on the oil itself. Here's a quick look at how to care for all your oils, to ensure you receive the maximum therapeutic benefits. There really is a range of lifespans of therapeutic grade essential oils, the reason being is that some oils are highly susceptible to degradation by environmental factors, while others actually benefit from these factors -- with a whole range in between. These factors are simply air, light and heat. So you can see that leaving a bottle open in the sunlight can be the fastest way to age it. Seal this bottle up with very little air in the top, put it in cool storage, and you'll be aging that same oil very slowly. This "anti-aging" method will work for all oils, but is really only necessary for a very few. One terms that's often used, whose meaning is difficult to pin down is "shelf life". This term is used by manufacturers to help guide consumers as to how long the oil will be "good" for if kept in the most common conditions: in a closed bottle on an open shelf somewhere in your house. For the advanced practitioner, this term has little meaning however, because with the right storage conditions, even very delicate oils can last a very long time. It's also important to consider that its not the end of the world if an essential oil's aroma gets a little flat. It will still retain much of its therapeutic benefit -- if you still like the aroma, wonderful! Inhale it! At the same time, some oils actually cause skin irritation to some people if they've gotten old. This has been proven for lavender and tea tree essential oils. Again, they many still impart their therapeutic benefits, but for some people (about 18% of the population) get skin reaction to these oils if they've aged too long. The bottom line here is that its still safe to enjoy the aroma of older oils that have theoretically short shelf lives, but its probably better to avoid using them in other ways unless they've been stored in a very protective manner. The fastest aromatics to degrade are those cold-pressed from the peels of citrus fruit. You can imagine that while other essential oils have been steam distilled, solvent extracted, or some even distilled with high pressure liquid carbon dioxide, the citrus oils in a way are still in the natural state the fruit had been when they were picked. These oils are very prone to oxidation, a process where oxygen atoms robs other molecules of electrons. The not-so-technical meaning is that the oils go flat, and looses their "zing". Within the citrus oils themselves, we find that grapefruit essential oil is the most susceptible to oxidation of them all. But it's also important to note that you can easily protect this and all the citrus oils from aging by keeping them in a cold, dark location, in bottles with very little air space in them. The refrigerator is acceptable, though if you choose to keep your oils in the "cold box", consider keeping a smaller bottle at room temperature that you work from, decanting some from the cool bottle once every couple of weeks or so. This prevents the oil in cold storage from being disrupted by frequently changing conditions -- cold to warm to cold again -- and possibly absorbing water from the air in the process. The floral essential oils have a great range of natural shelf lives. Neroli, the delicate anti-stress, anti-anxiety oil has a shelf life similar to those of the cold pressed citrus oils. At the other end of the spectrum are Jasmine and Rose, which naturally retain their wonderful properties for many years after their extraction. Between these are lavender and ylang ylang, which should be considered for cold storage if not being used in the first few months after purchase. We find a wide variation in shelf lives in other oils still. Those steam distilled from spices: black pepper, ginger, cardamom and the like, can quickly loose their spicy top notes. These same oils when found as CO2 extractions are much more resistant to breakdown. Oils from herbs, grasses and evergreen tree needles and leaves are fairly hearty. Generally, when an oil has a bright, lively aspect to it, it is more susceptible to a noticeable change due to improper storage. This freshness can easily be lost when exposed to heat, light and air. As for the other end of the spectrum, there are many oils that get better with age, or at least have a shelf life so long as to not be of concern. The "resin" oils are like this: frankincense and myrrh seem to age nicely. Patchouli and sandalwood are two oils that actually command a premium price after they've been put away for storage for several years. Other oils in this category are spikenard, vetiver, and galbanum. So when storing these oils at home, there's really no need to give them special attention at all. As you can see, there is truly a very diverse range of natural "durability" of essential oils. Without specific data on each oil, you can go by this rule of thumb: the more lively or fresh and oil is in its optimal state, the more likely it should be carefully stored if you do not intend to use it fairly quickly (within 3 months). The safest long-term storage is in the refrigerator, in a dark glass bottle with as little air in the bottle as possible -- and leaving this bottle undisturbed; in a cool, dark cabinet is nearly as effective. Clearly there are many factors involved in keeping your oils at their maximum therapeutic potential, but with a little know-how and understanding, it's really easy -- and rewarding -- to do.
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Here's a look at the best practices for storing your therapeutic essential oils for maximum longevity.
The author is a natural health professional utilizing pure essential oils and therapeutic blends found at www.anandaapothecary.com.
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