Essential Oils|Aromatherapy|Pheromones

Storing Your Aromatherapy Essential Oils

April 9th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed

Although experimenting with aromatherapy essential oils can be fun and extremely beneficial they can be costly depending on your preferences. Aromatherapy essential oils are in a pure form, for example it takes about 100 pounds of rose petals to make one ounce of rose essential oils, for this reason you need to protect your investment. The proper storage of your essential oils is crucial because such a small amount is needed at any given time that you will have your bottle for a long time.

Because essential oils are in a pure and concentrated form and are obtained from various plant materials they will deteriorate over time is not stored and handled properly. Regardless of the type of container your essential oil is in when you purchase it, it is always recommended that you store it in a dark colored glass container. The most popular glass bottles are dark amber and dark blue (cobalt) however indigo, jade green, dark brown and black bottles are all acceptable and are very effective in keeping out the light. This fact is so important that it may be wise to avoid products that are not stored properly before you purchase them.

Essential oils should be stored in a cool (not cold), dark, non-humid area that does not fluctuate in temperature. Essential oils are all very flammable so keep them away from heat sources of any kind. It should be noted that some essential oils will solidify at lower temperatures this does not harm them and they will return to a liquid state once they are back to room temperature. When choosing a location for your oils keep in mind that they are toxic when ingested and should always be kept out of the reach of children and pets.

In addition, using the proper lids and bottle stoppers adds to your essential oils longevity as well as safety. Most essential oils come in bottles which have dripolator or orifice reducer, this is simply a plastic insert that allows only one small droplet to be deposited at a time. If your bottle does not have one of these and you do not want to get one then it is recommended that a child proof lid be used. Another advantage of these lids is that they protect your essential oils from contamination when you are using them.

If you do not have dripolator caps in place, when it is time to use your essential oils transfer them by using a disposable pipette or eye dropper. These are inexpensive and easy to use. It is also important to remember; never use the same pipette for more than one essential oil, as this will cause cross contamination.

If you store your essential oils properly they can last months and even years depending on the type you use, for instance citrus essential oils deteriorate more quickly while sandalwood improves and matures over time. A general rule of thumb, it is time to dispose of your essential oil when it starts smelling rancid or becomes cloudy at room temperature.