Essential Oil Storage in 2022
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I’ve been using essential oils for about half a year now and there is no end in sight. I’m actually working on my Aromatherapy certification, so I plan on having many more essential oils in my future. It’s time to start looking into the best essential oil storage! If you’re in the same boat, this post details exactly what I did and researched prior to storing my essential oils.
I am even providing some recommendations and tips to make it as easy as possible for you!
So read on if you want to learn more!
Essential Oil Storage Supplies
Essential oils are an investment. They aren’t cheap for your wallet, and it takes a huge amount of plant material to create one bottle. So, you want to get the most out of what you have! When it comes to essential oil storage, there are a few key things to consider.
- What are you going to store the essential oils in?
- Will you use the original bottles or will you be storing products you create?
- How will you protect them from light and heat?
Here are my recommendations!
5 to 15 ml amber glass bottles
The best thing to store essential oils in is an amber glass bottle. Essential oils will typically already come in this type of bottle. However, there may be times you are making your own blend that you need to store! This type of glass protects the essential oil from light and heat, which can damage the oil. It’s also important to make sure the bottle has a dropper orifice so you can control how much oil you dispense.
Also make sure it has a tight-fitting lid. This is a good choice if you’re not going to be using the oils frequently, as it will keep them fresh for longer, preventing evaporation.
10 ml amber glass roller bottles
I personally like to create different recipes with essential oils that are safe to apply to the skin (with a carrier oil). Currently I’m using one for my puffy eyes!
You can use these roller bottles to make your favorite recipe and store it for later use!
Again, the glass amber is the best choice to use due to the protection from heat and light! The goal is to make your oils last as long as possible!
BPA free Plastic or Glass Amber Spray Bottles
If you are making your own essential oil sprays, just like with the essential oil bottles, make sure to use glass amber! If you don’t do glass, look for BPA free plastic.
Natural Solubilizer
If you make your own essential oil recipes, this is a great addition to help disperse the oils evenly in any water-based product you make. Not necessary for storage or use, just handy to have! If you are not using this solubilizer, just make sure to shake well or mix before using any product you’ve created!
Geogard ECT Preservative
If you are making your own essential products and want to store them, it’s best to use this preservative. Even if some of the recipes call for distilled water, the shelf life of the product will usually only last about 6 weeks.
Note: If you are making something that you’ll use in a few weeks, this isn’t needed. However, if you’re looking at making a large batch of something, this preservative will help it last up to 9 months.
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What Can Affect the Shelf Life of Essential Oils?
Essential oils are often thought of as a natural and safe alternative to traditional medicine. However, just like any other type of product, essential oils have a shelf life, to an extent. The shelf life of an essential oil is affected by a variety of factors, including the temperature at which it is stored, how it is packaged, and exposure to light, oxygen, and moisture.
Exposure to Light
Exposure to light is one of the biggest factors that can affect the shelf life of an essential oil. Oils that are stored in clear glass bottles are especially susceptible to light degradation, as the light can cause the oil to break down and lose its therapeutic properties. In order to protect the oil from degradation, it is important to store it in a dark place, like a pantry or cupboard. If you do need to store your oils in a glass bottle, it is best to use a brown or black bottle, as these will filter out most of the harmful UV rays.
Exposure to Heat
Just like exposure to light, exposure to heat can also cause an essential oil to degrade and lose its therapeutic properties. Oils that are stored in a hot environment, such as near a stove or in direct sunlight, can start to break down and become ineffective. It is important to store your oils in a cool, dark place, like a pantry or cupboard, to protect them from heat damage.
Normal room temperatures are usually fine, but keep them away from a kitchen or a living room with a fire place.
Exposure to Oxygen
Exposure to oxygen can also cause an essential oil to degrade and lose its therapeutic properties. Once you open your essential oil bottle and it gets exposed to oxygen, a process called oxidation begins.
Exposure to Moisture
A final option for storing essential oils is in a dark glass bottle with a tight-fitting lid. Again, it’s important to keep them in a dark place so they don’t degrade.
No matter what type of container you choose, it’s important to store your essential oils in a cool, dark place. Heat and light can damage the quality of the oil, so it’s best to keep them in a cupboard or drawer. I also like to put them in a box so they’re not bouncing around and getting jostled. I’ll review some great options below!
I hope these tips help you when it comes to essential oil storage!
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Essential Oil Storage Tips
Essential oils are a wonderful way to add scent and flavor to your home, but it is important to store them properly in order to get the most benefit from them. By following these simple tips, you can ensure that your essential oils will stay fresh and potent for many years to come.
- When storing essential oils, it is important to keep them in a cool, dark place. This will help to protect the oil’s potency and prevent it from going rancid. Heat and direct sunlight will degrade the oil.
- It is also important to keep the oils tightly sealed in order to prevent them from evaporating.
- The best ways to store essential oils are in dark glass bottles with tight fitting lids. Dark amber bottles are the best because it prevents light from getting in.
- It is also important to label the bottles so that you know what is inside.
- Essential oils can be stored in a number of different ways, on wooden shelves, or in a box lined with felt.
- Keep essential oils out of reach of children. Some oils are not safe for children. Treat them as you would any other substance or medicine you have you wouldn’t want your kiddies getting into.
- When using your essential oils, keep the time that the cap is off to a minimum. The longer the cap is off, the more oxygen the essential oil is exposed too.
Essential oils are a powerful tool that can be used for a variety of purposes. With proper storage, they will last for many years.
How Can You Tell if Essential Oils Have Gone Bad?
It can be a bit difficult to tell if your essential oil has gone bad. They don’t really “go bad” and it isn’t as obvious as when food expires. You can use the below charts as a guide or you can look for the following changes.
- Has the smell changed at all since you first opened the bottle?
- Has the color changed?
- Is there a cloudy nature to the oil?
- Is the consistency thicker or thinner than normal?
Those are few examples of how to tell if your essential oils have gone bad. And when essential oils go bad, it really just means a breakdown of compounds and therapeutic properties. It just loses the same health value it once had. You can still continue using them though.
Below is a general guide you can use to determine the approximate shelf life of essential oils.
How Do You Properly Dispose of Essential Oils?
You may think that the best thing to do is to just pour expired essential oils down the drain, but that can do more harm than good! If you do that, you may end up with a clogged sink or ruin the pipes. And that can be an expensive fix in the long run.
The expired essential oil could also potentially end up in your local water supply harming the environment and the water other people drink!
Here are some ways you can properly dispose of essential oils.
- Let them evaporate. Using a plate or bowl, pour the oil in it. Take it outside on a sunny day. It will evaporate into the air. Remember, the oil has just lost its therapeutic properties, it’s not harmful if it gets in the air.
- Diffuse it! You can still enjoy the fresh aroma. The compounds may have broken down and not affect the body as before, but you can still freshen up the room.
- Recycle the old container. First wash it with soap and water then recycle as you would glass.
- Reuse the container. After washing it out and letting it dry, create a new blend and use that bottle instead of buying a new one!
My top 5 Picks for Essential Oil Storage
Simply Earth Wooden Essential Oil Storage Container
Simply Earth is my go to essential oil company. They are known at providing quality and pure essential oils at reasonable prices! No MLM here!
Dimensions: 4″H x 8.5″D x 8.5″ W
This is a custom-made box that will hold up to 36 10ml or 15ml essential oil bottles. The slots may be slightly too big for 5 ml. It includes stickers for labelling the top of the bottles so you can easily find the one you need!
I also love how they donate 13% of all sales to organizations that help to end human trafficking!
CONS:
- Only holds 36 essential oils
Oil Life Wooden Essential Oils Display Shelf
If your essential oil collection is in the triple digits, this essential oil storage box will hold up to 300 bottles (180 15 ml + 120 5 ml or 10 ml bottles).
What I love about this one, is the drawers pull out and slightly tilt down so you can see what oils are where. You’ll easily be able to organize them how you see fit!
Dimensions: 17 x 14 x 20 inches
CONS:
- The picture makes it look like it’s made with wood, but the material is actually rubber.
- Some of the customer reviews stated the number of essential oils this will hold is inaccurate.
- Other customer reviews have complained about the cheap quality associated with the high price
- More expensive
Oil Life Wooden Rotating Essential Oil Rack
Depending on your choice, you can store between 12 and 300 15 ml essential oil bottles. The picture below is the 182 bottle selection. It’s a rotating tray made with natural wood. It’s highly decorative and would be a great addition anywhere in your home or office!
There is mention of an upgraded version in which one panel holds 5ml, one holds 10 ml, and one hold 15 ml bottles. There is even a drawer at the bottom for additional storage.
Dimensions: 18 x 10.5 x 10.5 inches
112 Slot Essential Oil Storage Box
Even though this is advertised as a Travel box, I think it’s perfectly acceptable to use as a normal essential oil storage container in your home! It has 112 slots to fit your oils of all sizes. And if you do decide you need to travel with your oils, this selection makes it highly convenient! It turns into a carrying case.
CONS:
- Some customers have said they couldn’t fit their 30 ml bottles in an upright position
