One of the great concerns of the aromatherapy practitioner is keeping their essential oils at their best. If one buys a good stock of oils, how should they be kept? The answer is a little complex, requiring diligence and knowledge about each type of oil, and the most protective means by which an oil can be stored. Let's take a look at the range of possibilities, and how you can most easily care for your stock of precious therapeutic essential oils.
The first thing to understand is what actually affects an essential oil to make it age (whether we want it to or not). The factors include exposure to light, heat and air (really, the oxygen in the air), and to a much lesser extent, vibration. One can imaging almost entombing an oil in a cold, dark, quiet space in a bottle with no air at the top -- it would essentially last forever! At the same time, this isn't always the most practical choice, and isn't necessary for most oils in most real-life situations.
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.
Another item to consider is what actually changes in terms of therapeutic value as an oil ages (for those oils specifically that do not improve with age). Many of them just become flat, losing freshness. You might still enjoy the aromas of these oils, and that is perfectly fine to do -- in this respect, they retain much of their therapeutic value. Oils used for other applications (topical or internal) may also retain much of their value -- however, the molecular components of the oils which are aging may in-fact become mildly toxic. Lavender and tea tree have been shown to produce "contact dermatitis" -- simply irritated skin when topically applied -- when they've oxidized beyond a certain amount. The point being that its for the more "medicinal" applications of oils that one really need be concerned about improper aging of their oil stock.
Looking at the aging of individual oils and groups of oils, it is the cold-pressed citrus oils which oxidize most rapidly. You could even conceive of why this might be: these oils have been directly extracted from fresh fruit, whereas other oils have been steam distilled or solvent extracted. They are the most close to nature as you can come.
The most delicate of the citrus oils is grapefruit, with an unrefrigerated, closed bottle often being noted to have a shelf life of six months or less -- other citrus oils will last longer. In the case of cold pressed citrus oils then (though not steam distilled citrus oils), storing your bottles in the refrigerator is a smart choice. If you really want to get into the "nitty-gritty", if you're using the oil often, keep a small portion in a bottle outside the 'fridge for daily use, and keep the larger portion inside the refrigerator to dispense oil from on a weekly basis. This way the oil that's kept cold with its cap on stays this way without being disturbed as much as possible.
The next group of oils to consider are the florals. Interestingly, the essential oil steam distilled from the flower of a citrus tree, neroli, is the most sensitive to degradation as well. Neroli has been noted to simply go flat, and some say its important to not only keep it in a dark, cool place, but not even shake the bottle! Other florals certainly have longer shelf lives, on the order of one to two years. It may be the sweeter floral aromas that oxidize most rapidly: lavender and ylang ylang are examples. Rose otto, on the other hand, can still be wonderful after five years.
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.
Then there are the oils that actually improve with age. This includes many of the very earthy aromatics: sandalwood, patchouli, vetiver, frankincense and myrrh. Their fresh, top notes when first distilled are considered harsh, and not necessary for their therapeutic activity. Rather, the aromas become smoother and more beneficial with age. These oils of course require no special storage considerations.
Here you can see the very wide range of correct answers as to how you should properly store your essential oils. The first consideration is whether you'll be using your oils within the first few months after purchase -- if this is the case, there's no need to concern yourself with storage. If you'll be keeping them longer than that, decide how long you'll want to be storing them, and which of those oils falls into the "very delicate" category, the "moderately delicate" category, and the "gets better with age" category. With this knowledge, you can then decide whether to put some of your oils away in cold storage, to maintain their utmost freshness. Through these guidelines, you'll be able to always use oils with the greatest health benefits.
Author Resource:
The Ananda Apothecary is a fully-stocked source of therapeutic grade essential oils, including pure amyris essential oil and a supercritical CO2 distillation of clove .
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