The way you handle essential oil storage can have an impact on the lifespan of your oils. It’s true that some essential oils such as patchouli oil have aromas that mature as they get older. But having said that, all essential oils, including patchouli, will gradually deteriorate and lose their therapeutic powers. And they’ll do this faster if you don’t store them properly. So it’s important that you know how to store essential oils in the best way.
Essential oil storage
The best bottles for essential oil storage are dark glass bottles such as cobalt blue or amber bottles. These protect your oils from the sunlight which speeds up their deterioration. Clear glass bottles won’t actually damage your oils in and of themselves, it’s just that they just let more sunlight get to the oils. And it’s the ultraviolet light in the sunlight that causes the damage, along with the heat.
You should also avoid plastic bottles. Your essential oils will start to affect the plastic – they can actually start to dissolve it. This will result in your oils being ruined quite quickly.
Likewise, you should avoid bottles whose tops have rubber droppers. These droppers will quickly be turned to gum by the oils. Again, this will soon render your oils useless.
It’s okay to use aluminum bottles for essential oil storage as long as the inside of the bottles are lined.
You should store your oils in a cool, dark place. If possible, store them somewhere refrigerated. If not, make sure the place you keep them isn’t susceptible to changes in temperature and isn’t in direct sunlight. So keep your oils away from windows and don’t store them in your car.
Make sure the bottles containing your oils are sealed as tightly as possible, and store your oils upright. And make sure all your bottles are clearly labelled so that you know what’s in them.
You can buy specialized essential oil bottles and storage boxes and cases from many places these days. The advantage of the storage boxes is that they protect your bottles of oils from the sunlight, and also from impact damage.
One final point is that many essential oils are poisonous and many can act as irritants too. So make sure you store your oils well out of the reach of any children.
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