How To Store Essential Oils?
Essentials oils, both pure and concentrated, need to be preserved for use. This is both due to their high cost as well as for preventing them from losing their efficacy with time. Hence, storing of essential oils is a crucial factor in keeping these oils from deteriorating with time.
Temperature
Essential oils should be stored at a low temperature to maintain their efficacy. It is best for essential oils to be stored at a cool dark place. So, it makes sense to have essential oils tucked away in a cool corner of a cupboard. Ideally, they can be kept in a cardboard box where all the essential oils can be stored in one place.
Storage in Bottles
Most essential oils are sold in small bottles which should be able to keep the oils from deteriorating. But if the bottles are clear white in color or if the storage bottles are made up of plastic, then these small bottles need to be replaced by amber colored dark bottles to avoid the effect of the sun on the efficiency of these oils. Aroma therapists or aroma experts urge the use of amber colored or cobalt glass for storage of essential oils.
Bottle Lids
The cork or the stoppers of these bottles are also important in preservation of essential oils. The quality of oil depends on this lid too. There can be two lids on the bottles where the first lid can have an aperture for the oil to be dispensed in the form of one drop at a time. Over this lid, there should be one more lid which can be completely closed. The lid cannot be plastic as the concentrated oil can react on the plastic to convert it into a gum like substance. The lid should not have a plastic dropper, that is on the inside, for the same reason. People who store essential oils should ensure that the bottles are kept locked away from children’s reach to ensure that no harm befalls, since essential oils’ concentrated form can be injurious if taken orally. These bottles can also be stored in refrigerators, at mild temperatures to avoid any kind of freezing, of these essential oils. Even if essential oils freeze, the oil does not lose effectiveness in most cases. When the bottle is kept out to thaw and it attains room temperature, it can be immediately used in aromatherapy. If the oils are absolutes, then they should be avoided from being stored at very low temperatures like in a cold storage or refrigerator. Essential oils have an expiry period of one or two years so you need to utilize them within the stipulated period. Hence, the ideal bottle sizes to store essential oils are 5 ml, 10 ml and 15 ml amber colored bottles with two lids.
