Tips on Extending Essential Oil Shelf Life

By Caryn Gehlmann

Do you have an essential oil that you only use every once in a while and now you’re wondering if it’s still okay to use it? You can’t quite remember when you got it… was it a year ago or more like three? Do essential oils spoil or go bad after a certain period of time? Is there a standard essential oil shelf life?

Essential oils do have a shelf life. As soon as you open a new bottle and the oil comes into contact with oxygen, a process called oxidation begins. Light and heat can also impact its composition. While essential oils don’t spoil like food, they do change over time, losing their strength and effectiveness. Since you most likely use essential oils for a therapeutic purpose or for their pleasant aroma, you want to make sure your essential oils still have value.

Essential oil bottles don’t usually have an expiration date, so how can you tell if the bottle you have is still any good? It’s helpful to keep track of when you purchased your oil, more on specific essential oil shelf-life periods below. But if you’ve lost track of when you got it here are three things to help you determine whether your oil has deteriorated:

• It smells funny or different than before
• Its consistency has changed by becoming thicker or thinner than before
• It has become cloudy or the color has changed

What about rancid essential oils? Essential oils do not go rancid unless a carrier oil has been added! It’s the carrier oil that will go rancid so if you make a body oil and or roll-on and months later it smells “off” do not use it. You want to throw it away as it won’t be good for your skin.

If you’ve properly stored your essential oils, here are some general guidelines on the shelf life for most EOs:

ESSENTIAL OILS WITH THE SHORTEST SHELF LIFE

Essential oils that contain high levels of monoterpenes, particularly limonene, are more prone to oxidation. For example, most citrus peel essential oils, except Bergamot, have 90% or more monoterpenes and have the shortest shelf life.

1-2 Years
Examples in this category:
Grapefruit, Lemon, Mandarin, Nutmeg, Orange

ESSENTIAL OILS WITH A MEDIUM SHELF LIFE

Most essential oils are in this zone. They generally contain a higher percentage of aldehydes, oxides, monoterpenols, esters, ethers, phenols, or ketones.

2-3 Years
Examples in this category:
Eucalyptus (Citriodora, Globulus, Radiata), Frankincense, Lemongrass, Oregano, Saro, Thyme

3-4 Years
Examples in this category:
Bergamot, Marjoram Sweet, Neroli, Rosemary, Tea Tree

ESSENTIAL OILS WITH THE LONGEST SHELF LIFE

Essential oils that contain a high percentage of sesquiterpenes and/or sesquiterpenols have the longest shelf life. What’s interesting about these is the aromatic quality of these oils may improve over time! However, their therapeutic quality can still diminish, so 4 years may be a better lifespan if you’re focused on therapeutic use.

4-5 Years
Examples in this category:
Chamomile (German & Roman), Clary Sage, Geranium, Lavender, Peppermint

6-8 Years (or longer)
Examples in this category:
Cedarwood, Myrrh, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Vetiver

Here are some tips for how to extend your essential oil shelf life.

Reduce exposure to oxygen

To prevent unnecessary oxidation, try to minimize the amount of time the cap is off the bottle. When you’re done, be sure to screw the cap back tightly on the bottle. You should also consider storing your oils in smaller containers to reduce the amount of oxygen that stays in contact with the oil. As you use up the oil from a large bottle, simply re-bottle the essential oil into a smaller bottle.

Keep away from light and heat

Find a cool, dry place to store your oils, even the refrigerator works! You also want to keep your oils away from direct sunlight or other direct heat and light sources.

Store in the right kind of container

There is a reason why we have amber, green, and cobalt blue bottles, they help keep out the damaging effect of sunlight. You’ll also want to avoid purchasing or storing pure essential oils in plastic bottles as the essential oil will eat at the plastic PET, ruining both your bottle and your oil in the process!

Record your purchase date

To keep tabs on the age of your oils, write down your date of purchase on the oil bottle’s label. This will help you take a closer look (and smell) at essential oils that are headed towards the end of their lifespan.

If you’re blending essential oils or using them to make DIY products, you’ll want to check out this blog on Aromatherapy Safety: Make Your DIY Products Last for tips. If you would like to learn more about mixing your own blends, make sure you have our free workbook, The Art & Science of Blending Essential Oils. And if you have specific questions about something we haven’t addressed yet, we invite you to contact us. We love hearing from you!