Lots of people new to essential oils ask if essential oils expire or go bad. I can’t speak for any other companies except Young Living. The large picture answer – no they don’t. But there is a smart way to store your oils.
Some of us are at a stage where we have back up oils. I’m one of those people. So keeping my oils stored properly is important to maintain efficacy.
There are 4 types of oils that YL has and each has their own quirks.
* Essential oil singles and single blends (meaning, nothing more than the essential oil of any given plant) are in the bottle. These need to be stored in a cool, dry, dark place. i.e., frankincense, pine, Abundance, Lady Sclareol.
* Blends that have a “carrier oil” in them, such as Dream Catcher, White Angelica, Deep Relief, Breath Again, etc, also need to be stored the same way. Dry, dark, cool place. For BEST results you want to use these oils within 2 years. Why? Because the carrier oil has a 2 year shelf life. Just like the olive oil you use for cooking, its best to use these oils within 2 years of purchase. However that’s not to say that they still wouldn’t be effective or good to use after. Just store them properly.
* Cold pressed oils such as the citrus oils need to be stored in a cool, dry, dark place as well. These oils are easily damaged when exposed to heat over 100*. These are best used within 1 year of purchase date. Again, still ok after, just not the best. The key is proper storage.
* And finally absolutes, such as rose, neroli and jasmine are very sensitive to heat over 90*. So you definitely don’t want to be leaving any of these oils in your car in the middle of summer. Just don’t do it.
You see, heat and sunlight causes oxidative stress to the oil. And just like in people oxidative stress is not good for them. Keeping your lids tight – in fact don’t open them if these particular bottles are going to be back up bottles – keeping them stored in the closet inside a box where no light will reach them is best. This will extend the potency of your essential oils.
You won’t see an expiration date on a bottle of Young Living Essential Oil. They technically don’t expire. They will have a great amount of power in them years and years and years later. They are however, susceptible to the elements. Be careful how you store them but most importantly use them. They are not meant to be stored forever – which is another reason why Young Living is a network marketing company. This forces the customer to buy direct from the company. There is no question that the oil is as potent as it was the day it was bottled. It hasn’t been sitting on a shelf in a grocery store. Young Living takes great care to store their products at the maximum level needed to insure that we, the consumer, are getting the absolute best for our dollar.
In the Chadwick house we have them stored in a box under the bed. Although I’m trying to get a new cabinet built just for my oils. 🙂 A best practice is to rotate the bottles when we get new ones just like canned food. Use the oldest one first. But don’t fret if you have a bottle that’s 5 years old. Use it up. It’s still fabulous and will do your body good.
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