Tips for preserving your Essential Oils over the long term

To maintain their effectiveness, essential oils need to be of the highest quality and stored in the best possible conditions. That's why Landema offers you its valuable advice on preserving essential oils. Not only will you be able to use them right up to their expiration date, but you'll also benefit from their properties throughout their shelf life.

 

What are essential oils?

Essential oils are products obtained from aromatic plants. They can be used for health and well-being. Essential oils are generally extracted by steam distillation or mechanical pressure (for citrus peel, for example). They can then be used for a variety of purposes, such as aromatherapy, cosmetics, perfumery, massages, food, etc.

Essential oils are highly concentrated in active aromatic molecules, and must therefore be used with care. They should not be applied directly to mucous membranes or around the eyes, and it is sometimes advisable to dilute them before use. Essential oils can be beneficial to health, but it's important to be well-informed before using them.

 

The shelf life of essential oils

Do essential oils expire?

All essential oils have an expiration date which, as is the case with Landema, can be found on the bottle label. However, with some suppliers, this date is indicated on the cardboard overwrap. Unfortunately, once this is discarded, the information is lost. So always remember to check where the date is when you buy, and even copy it onto the bottle label if necessary. In most cases, essential oils can be kept for 3 to 4 years, but citrus oils have a shorter shelf life, as they oxidize easily.

How long can I use an essential oil after opening?

In addition to the expiration date printed on the bottle of essential oil, you should also consider its shelf life from the day it is opened. Make a note of this, as it varies greatly from one essential oil to another.

Once opened, Bergamot(Citrus bergamia), Green Mandarin(Citrus reticulata), Lemon(Citrus limon) and citrus essential oils in general have a shelf life of between 6 months and 1 year.

Cypress(Cupressus sempervirens), Eucalyptus radiata(Eucalyptus radiata), Laurier noble(Laurus nobilis) or Rosemary Cineole(Rosmarinus officinalis), for example, can keep their properties for up to 3 years.

Essential oils of Basil(Ocimum basilicum), True Lavender(Lavandula angustifolia) or Thyme Linalol(Thymus zygis) have a slightly longer shelf life (up to 6 years).

Finally, when stored in the right conditions (see below), some essential oils retain all their properties for up to 15 years. This is particularly true of chamomile (Matricariarecutita), ginger (Zinziber officinale) and ylang-ylang(Cananga odorata).

You can now find a selection of essential oils in the Landema online store: click here.

Why do essential oils go out of date?

Essential oils contain aromatic molecules such as terpenes, coumarins and terpene esters, which give them useful properties for humans and animals. However, these compounds are also highly sensitive to oxidation, which begins as soon as the essential oil comes into contact with air. Chemically, this is due to the fact that oxygen atoms associate with the molecule and transform its structure. Similarly, heat acts as a kind of chemical reaction gas pedal. Finally, UV rays also alter the molecules present in essential oils.

Can I use an essential oil that has passed its expiration date?

If you don't use your essential oils very often, it's quite possible that you'll find that their expiration date has passed. In this case, there are a few tricks you can use to check whether your essential oil is still of good quality. Start by smelling it: if it smells almost nothing, or if, on the contrary, it's very strong and/or unpleasant, you can throw it away. On the other hand, a deteriorated essential oil will change color, thicken or become cloudy. If you don't notice any of these changes, you can continue to use it. However, its properties may be slightly diminished.

 

How to store essential oils properly

Choose top-quality essential oils

It's possible to find essential oils on the market at very low prices. However, take the time to take a closer look. They are generally synthetic oils or diluted or modified essential oils (to find out more about these harmful practices, read our article on adulteration). On the composition of the former, you may see chemical terms such as "methylparaben" or "polysorbate", or others corresponding to artificial flavors, appear on the label. These essential oils won't keep very long, and above all, they won't have the desired properties.

To be sure you're buying totally pure, natural and authentic essential oils, you can count on Landema. In fact, you'll find on our bottles all the elements that attest to their quality:

• Clear identification of the botanical species, in French and Latin.
• The origin of the crop: organic, wild or conventional. At Landema, whenever possible, we naturally give priority to the organic origin of our essential oils.
• The part of the plant used.

 

How to preserve your essential oils

To ensure that you can use your essential oils for many years to come and, above all, enjoy all their benefits, we encourage you to follow the preservation tips below:

• Store your essential oils away from light and heat. To do this, place them in a closed cupboard with unglazed doors, or in a special storage box. You should also ensure that your essential oils are not stored near a source of heat, such as a radiator.
• Use brown glass bottles for your preparations. In fact, if the essential oils you buy from Landema are presented in opaque containers, when you make your own blends, make sure that the essential oils are exposed to light as little as possible.
• Protect your essential oils from humidity. While it's handy to have them on hand for massage or rubbing after a bath or shower, it's a bad idea to store them for long periods of time in your shower room, not to mention the fact that the temperature there can also be excessive.
• Carefully recap your bottles after use. Although this tip may seem obvious, some people may want to enjoy the pleasant fragrance for several hours. However, it's best to place a few drops of essential oil on a support and close the bottle immediately. The bottle should also be stored upright. Some essential oils are slightly corrosive, and if they come into contact with the plastic drip tip, they can damage it.
• Do not touch the tip of the bottle with your fingers. While it's tempting to place your open bottle directly on your skin for essential oils that you can use undiluted, the particles naturally present on your skin can alter the quality of the essential oil. So take the time to let the drop fall quietly onto your skin, keeping the tip a few millimeters away.
• Think about the fridge: to extend the life of your essential oils, especially if you only use them two or three times a year, the fridge is an excellent option for preserving their properties.

To ensure that your essential oils last until their expiration date, and sometimes even beyond, the first rule is, of course, to choose quality oils, which is the case for those you can find in Landema's online store. Then, of course, follow our advice above.

Do you have several essential oils but don't know how to use them? We've put together a guide to using essential oils. Don't hesitate to consult it!