Potency and Shelf Life of the Essential Oil

If you have ever heard someone say “pure oils don’t go bad” this is technically a true statement but is also horribly misconstrued to fit their narrative. Yes, oils don’t expire in the traditional sense. They won’t grow mold or go sour. They do however oxidize and while there is an average shelf life for each oil-this can also depend on how the oil is stored and cared for.

If you have also heard someone say that “one drop of peppermint essential oil is equal to 60 cups of tea” there is also truth to this. Okay so not 60 cups, more like 30 cups but oils are extremely potent. They are also incredibly volatile which leads into their shelf life. They have a low molecular weight which leads to them easily evaporating. So while volatile might sound like they are scary and dangerous it isn’t, this is just a way to describe the makeup of essential oils and how easily they can degrade.

Oils oxidize, this means that the chemical makeup of the essential oil has changed. This can alter how the oil works and affects us as well. While you can sometimes still use oxidized oils, it isn’t advised to use an oxidized oil on the skin or ingest an oxidized oil. You can tell an oil is oxidized if it smells different; less potent or stronger in some cases. It can also be off with color changes in the oil, density changes in the oil and also how it might react when being mixed. Oils can oxidize due to many different reasons.

So what are somethings that help lengthen the shelf life, and what shortens the shelf life, of essential oils?

• Sun: Storing your essential oils in brown bottles, away from the sunlight can lengthen the shelf life. At the same time leaving oils in clear bottles or in direct sunlight can destroy or break down the oil.

• Heat: Storing essential oils away from heat sources is best, keeping them in cooler/colder locations can help to extend the shelf life of the oil. So then storing them in the heat and exposing them to fluctuating temperatures can cause the oil to degrade or oxidize faster.

• Air: Keeping you oils tightly sealed when they are not in use lengthens their shelf life. While leaving bottles open and exposed to the air can oxidize and evaporate the oils faster.

  What is the affect of oxidization on oils?

  Oxidized oils can change how they work, react and even how they smell. If you smell your favorite oil and it smells different it has probably oxidized. This can also change it’s potency; either making it less potent or making it even more potent. Using an oxidized oil topically can be dangerous and cause reactions even when following topical guidelines. Potency comes into play here because as an extremely potent plant extract, any changes that happen to the oil can affect this and affect how it works as aromatherapy. An oil could be more irritating or less effective when oxidized.

  We also want to consider how potent the oils are normally, because they are incredibly potent. This means that it is important to use and store these little oils properly. Ideally they should be stored in a cool/dry/dark location. I keep mine in the fridge, you do not have to do this. But keeping them away from heat, air and light is key when storing. I know that little oil shelves are cool, and people love to display them in their kitchens. But this is not ideal. Storing them in the open where they are exposed to light or heat from the kitchen can degrade the oils faster.

  Shelf life of common oils:

• Lavender 3-4 years

• Peppermint 4-5 years

• Tea Tree 2-3 years

• Lemon 1-2 years

• Orange 1-2 years

• Spearmint 2-3 years

• Frankincense 2-3 years

• Bergamot 2-3 years

• Eucalyptus 3-4 years

• Rosemary 2-3 years

  You can see that most oils are good for at least a year. Citrus oils tend to have a shorter shelf life while thicker oils have a longer shelf life. This isn’t always the case, it really just depends on the makeup of the oil and how quickly they will deteriorate. This also depends on how they are stored, because if you leave them open all the time they won’t last nearly as long as the shelf life is. It is important to store the essential oil correctly.

  Wait you kept mentioning potency though and never really touched on it!

  I know, there isn’t a lot to say on potency. This is why I added this into a blog post on shelf life because potency does play a part in the shelf life of the essential oil. But basically these little bottles are highly concentrated plant matters. More so than anything else. Tinctures are a less concentrated plant extract, as the herb is steeped in alcohol and the medicinal qualities are slowly extracted. Essential oils are more quickly extracted and usually done so with steam distillation. This means that they are getting every last pocket of essential oil in the plant into that bottle. They are so highly concentrated this is why dilution is recommend and why it is unwise to use them undiluted especially on children or pets.

  There really isn’t much to say after that though, they are potent. 1 drop of oil is worth several doses of the regular herb. That being said, having a bottle of essential oil should really last a while for the average person based on correct usage. Because they are so potent we don’t need to use that much of them and they should last if you are just using them for home use. This is also why it is so important to use essential oils appropriately and follow dilution guidelines. I say this so often it has become my mantra at this point but natural does not always mean it’s safe. Something can be natural and you can still overdose on it. Follow safe practices when using essential oils, you can read more about safety guidlines in this post as well as learn about safe usage with children and safe usage in pregnancy. I also have a post on clinical aromatherpay in pregnancy here. Safety is important when you are using something so potent.

   Thank you so much for reading, your support means a lot. If you have any questions feel free to email me at holisticary@gmail.com or call/text me at 641-631-6355
  This blog post was meant to educate and entertain, it is entirely my opinion and not meant to treat or diagnose anyone or to be taken as absolute unwavering fact. Please seek proper medical care and advice. Some links might contain affiliate links, this is at no cost to you and helps the blog.