Shelf Life of Essential Oils

[Guest guest]

The following post was originally sent to another list .. and then

later to the Oils & Herbs List. Butch

 

http://health./message/21939

 

Shelf Life of Essential Oils

 

Fri Jun 18, 2004 1:37 am

 

 

 

Hi Jay,

 

> 2/3 days back I posted this message on oils & herbs list

unfortunately did

> not receive a single reply.

 

There was one reply .. from Marge Clark. Perhaps you missed it.

 

> Hope someone on this list can comment on it.

 

Be glad to .. but my reply will not be nearly as short as was the one

Marge sent .. like I always say, I'm not known for brevity. ;-)

 

The information below is my opinion .. backed up by a good deal of

practical experience and some research. If anyone wants to disagree

they can have at it .. but please don't reinforce that disagreement by

quoting one of the unreferenced novels out and about because I find

that their opinions are no better than mine .. and in most cases not

as good because most of the writers lack the practical experience I have.

 

I know some folks will holler that I am using this post to advertise

cause some folks are not happy unless they can find something to

holler about. And maybe the list moderators might think the same ..

but if asked to change a word of it, I can't do that .. because I

can't see a way to get my points across without using personal

experiences .. and its not like folks don't know I sell oils anyway.

But then, if the post is booted by a moderator .. it won't matter

cause y'all won't see it in the second place. ;-)

 

> There has been some discussion on shelf life of essential oils. As

you all

> must be aware that many essentials oils are be sold with expiry date.

 

Unfortunately .. another of the many rumors common in this cottage

industry .. I mean .. the existence of Expiration Dates.

 

Human critters and Essential Oils have no Expiration Date. Humans

don't turn to pumpkins on the anniversary of an Expiration Date ..

Essential Oils don't turn to wine or vinegar on an Expiration Date.

 

There are, however, reasonably expected Shelf Lives of Human Critters

and Essential Oils and in both cases they can be shortened or

lengthened by proper .. or improper .. care and handling.

 

> I had bought vetivert and myrrh some years back, the expiry date is

2008,

 

The one who put the Expiration Date on the bottle was too confident

of their own knowledge .. or winging it .. or regurgitating data from

one of the novels I hope not to see quoted if someone challenges this

post.

 

> so

> a) does that mean I can use it till that time for skin as well, or

as Martin

> said about patchouli that it can not be used on skin, the same goes for

> these oils.

 

There is no cut and dry answer for that because nobody on this list

knows how you have cared for that oil .. how you stored it and such.

Far more important than arbitrary (and nonexistent) Expiration Dates

is Production Date. If we don't know when an oil was produced we can't

determine the normally expected Shelf Life .. same for human critters ..

don't know when they were born we can't begin to guess how much longer

they will live.

 

> b) if so, then why do these companies put expiry date that way ahead.

> (08 is another 4 years from now ).

 

Like I said above .. too confident in their own knowledge .. winging

it or regurgitating bovine excrement from some unreferenced novel. Or

in some cases, regurgitating information from some AT course taught by

an instructor who pays homage to some unreferenced novels.

 

> c) are there are basic guide lines one can follow regarding the usage of

> oils?

 

The question is too broad .. we could fill a hard drive with guide

lines for use of Essential Oils .. so I am going to do something weird

like ASSUME you are asking about expected Shelf Life of Essential Oils

... and I'm forced, due to storage capacity of most folk's E-Mail Post

Office, to disregard all the exceptions to what I will present here ..

and the few tests that have been conducted that show chemical

degradation on certain oils after X amount of time .. but I welcome

all that info as a follow on from folks who have the info. :-)

 

> When you have learned, educated people on the list warning you about

using

> old oils on the skin, & you have companies who write expiry date on the

> labels 3/4 years ahead, it's confusing as to what should one do?????

 

My opinion is that in most cases we should go with the opinions or

facts presented by folks who study EO rather than those who just

peddle them.

 

> Hope the experienced ones on the list can throw some light on this

> confusion??

 

I'll do my best .. and am prepared to change SOME of my opinions IF

faced with credible information contrary to those opinions.

 

> thnkx in advance

> Jay

 

Welcome for sure.

 

First of all .. it is my opinion that some oils improve with age ..

examples are Frankincense, Patchouli, Mysore Sandalwood, Vetiver and

Rosa damascena. And like fine wines there comes a time when there is

no longer improvement .. they too will degrade.

 

An international customer once told me they had seen discussion on the

aromatherapy list in their country where someone purchased my product

and was discussing the Dates of Expiration on my Miron Violet Bottles.

These are for Retail sizes only .. otherwise I use Amber.

 

I HAVE NO DATES OF EXPIRATION ON MY BOTTLES!! I will never have them.

What they were seeing was the Date of Production .. which is widely

discussed by me and shown on my web site.

 

Why will I NOT use a Date of Expiration or even a Best Use By Date?

Because it is impossible to determine an Expiration Date on an oil

because it will be different for different people - depending on how

they store the oils.

 

Another person wrote me a while back and said they had purchased an EO

from another company and thought it might be rancid. I told them that

EO do not become rancid .. they can become oxidized and some other bad

things can go down .. but not rancidity.

 

Cold Pressed or Expeller Pressed oils can and do become rancid .. but

as they are not steam distilled they are not (by me) considered to be

true Essential Oils.

 

Jojoba (which is not an oil .. but a wax) never becomes rancid .. and

Fractionated Coconut has a looooooooooong shelf life .. how long is

the shelf life? Nobody knows because nobody has lived long enough to see.

 

But Essential Oils can and do become oxidized due to chemical actions

resulted from light and exposure to oxygen .. and other variables.

This is also true of Human Critters .. its light and oxygen that cause

us to age .. but we haven't learned how to get along without them.

 

How long can we expect the reasonable Shelf Life of an EO to be?

 

In order to determine potential Shelf Life of an EO we must know the

Date of Production of that oil .. not the date of Bottling .. the Date

of Production. Not many sellers can tell us this so it makes it kinda

tough to know when they are getting old.

 

For Cold Pressed Citrus oils we can usually tell by the odor .. when

it doesn't smell like the fruit from which it was extracted. Another

way to know something is amiss is when we note the consistency/density

of the oil changing .. its getting thicker. Most Citrus oils will be

Cold Pressed .. though there are distilled Citrus available too ..

there is but a slight difference in the expected Shelf Life of the two.

 

Now I will give my opinions that will certainly generate forty-eleven

disagreements likely to produce fifty-twelve different positions. ;-)

 

Under normal storage conditions, Citrus Oils can be expected to last

12 to 14 months before there is chemical degradation. BUT if kept

under proper storage conditions, it can stay fresh for 18-24 months or

so. We keep all of our oils under conditions that slow down oxidation

... it is light and oxygen that shortens the life of any chemical

substance. We keep Citrus Oils and German Chamomile and other Blue

oils refrigerated and under Nitrogen Flush.

 

Nitrogen Flushing is simply the squirting of a wee bit of Nitrogen

into a storage container to displace Oxygen .. this works because

Nitrogen is much heavier than Oxygen .. and its inert .. causes no

problems to the oil. Bottles of Nitrogen can be obtained at many fine

wine shops. But Nitrogen Flushing is for larger storage containers ..

it doesn't work well in 10 or 20 ml bottles .. for these one can

simply drop in PURE glass beads .. which will raise the level of the

oil .. reduce the dead space where Oxygen is lurking and working to

harm the oil.

 

We store other oils (those not refrigerated) in an air conditioned

store room in summer and that storeroom is unheated in the winter. You

should also keep your oils refrigerated or in a cool, dark place.

 

I do not recommend storage of Rose Otto or Anise Seed in a

refrigerator because they will winterize .. they will crystallize in

minutes. It will not harm the oil .. the oil will return to normal

consistency when you bring it back to room temperature. If your Rose

Otto (especially) does not do this within 5 minutes of putting it in

the refrigerator .. you should make sure you do NOT purchase from that

dealer again .. because you have one that is adulterated with Phenyl

ethyl alcohol .. the most common adulterant for Rose Otto.

 

Some folks only want fresh oils - but many oils improve with age and

the cost also goes up .. I mentioned a few above. I save some oils and

will not sell them for a few more years .. they'll be more valuable

then. As all wines do not turn into gourmet vintage wines - some turn

to vinegar, but others become more valuable - the story goes for EO.

 

For Mints - fresh is not best! Mint oils distilled in the USA in June

have a high menthol content but those distilled in August/September

(closer to flowering) have a higher menthone and menthofurane content

- which is GOOD! For Peppermint and Spearmint - most US distillers

sell fresh oils to Wrigley's and other confectionery companies - but

some hold them back for a year. They keep them in a dark area and

decant from time to time between bottles to aerate it. Then they do

Nitrogen Flush and seal it. That oil will last a good 3 plus years.

 

For Rose Otto - fresh is NEVER best!!!

 

The Date of Production of the Rose Otto I have sold in the past was

always more than a year older than the time I sold it. Unfortunately,

that's not possible now and it won't be possible in the future.

 

The Turkish Rose Growers Association used to produce more than they

could sell .. they kept Rose Otto in vaults and sold fresh Rose Otto

to perfumeries .. the aged Rose Otto went to me for the

Aromatherapists. Over 8 million dollars worth of Rose Otto was

produced in Turkey in May and June 2003 .. and it was ALL SOLD OUT by

October 2003 .. looks like a similar situation will exist this year.

 

Its early to drink a beer now .. I like to have one before IT STARTS

... so I'll have another cuppa coffee .. cause IT HAS STARTED .. below! ;-)

 

Generally, the expected Shelf Lives of some Essential Oils are:

 

* Tea Tree - shelf life is a minimum of Four Years.

 

* Frankincense, Vetiver, Sandalwood and Patchouli - Indefinite and

they improve with age.

 

* Other Wood and Resin oils - Four years or so.

 

Rose Otto - 8 to 10 years.

 

Citrus and Conifer oils - Assuming no preservative has been added (and

there are preservatives in many but none in mine) - up to 18 months

and longer if stored under nitrogen and refrigerated.

 

Most Herbal/Floral oils, and most Absolutes - Five to six years or so.

 

Everything else - Four to Seven years .. varies depending on the EO.

 

To extend the Shelf Life of Cold-Pressed or Expressed Citrus oils we

refrigerate them - same with Hydrosols. If that's no possible, keep

them in as cool an area as you can. And I think its important to test

Hydrosols periodically because folks put them on their face, in their

eyes .. and drink them. I have my Hydrosols tested every 90 days at

the organization below .. sellers can contact them and arrange for

testing of their own Hydrosols .. if they want to.

 

Superior Labs, Inc.

2514 Billingsly Road

Columbus, Ohio 43235

Tel: (614) 793-8778

Tel: (800) 886-5227

Fax: (614) 793-2172

 

Superior Laboratories, Inc., an authorized testing agency .. holds:

 

1. Ohio EPA Water Approval No. 890

2. USDA Accreditation Number 3983

 

Testing of Hydrosols is perhaps more important than testing essential

oils because any water-based product is an ideal breeding ground for a

multitude of microbial critters .. as well as fungal critters and mold.

 

Results of the last tests, conducted on 03 May 2004, on ALL of my

Hydrosols by Superior Labs showed the purity of the hydrosols

exceeded USDA/EPA standards for bottled and drinking waters.

 

An interim Recap:

 

Keep Essential Oils in colored glass, out of the light, tops on tight,

out of sight and treat them right. When a small bottle is becoming

empty, put the oil into a smaller bottle - this reduces the amount of

oxygen in the bottle. Or .. you can drop pure glass beads into the

bottle which will raise the level of the oil and push out Oxygen.

 

For larger storage containers, Nitrogen Flushing is the way to go.

 

Avoid exposing Essential Oils to extreme temperatures - because

neither hot nor cold nor rapid changes of temperature are good for EOs

or Hydrosols .. but the degree of degradation is hard to determine so

that does NOT mean we should dump them if we forget and leave them in

a hot car all day.

 

Remember that EXACT Expiration Dates and Best Used By Dates are

garbage! It just is NOT TRUE! It totally depends on the methods of

storage - but you must know Date of Production - that is important

information. Date of Production is the time we begin our planning and

calculations. Many sellers, if they use a date at all, use the date it

was BOTTLED because that is all they know .. and that doesn't tell us

the Date of Production as it might have been 4 years before the oil

was bottled.

 

A final recap . there are general Expected dates of Shelf Life for

various Essential Oils - and various humans. But Essential Oils and

humans have Expiration Dates. We can increase or decrease Expected

Life spans of humans or anything containing chemicals by

storing/handling it correctly or incorrectly.

 

And .. the normally expected Shelf Lives of various oils are of more

importance to end-users than they are to sellers of EO because its

hard to find a seller that does not turn over oils as quickly as

possible. They make no money sitting on their investments.

 

Back to Production Dates .. sorry .. I forgot. ;-)

 

Somebody is gonna come up with .. Butch .. I gotcha! I done checked

your Retail List at http://www.AV-AT.com/prices.html and I see oils on

there that are older than my Grandma. ;-)

 

But like I said in a post yesterday, 85% or so of my sales are

wholesale so that just shows how much priority I have given to keeping

the Retail site updated. I notify folks of changes not posted via an

e-mail when they make Retail orders .. and my Web Mistress has given

me plu-purple hell for not giving her info to update the Retail Site.

I have done it .. sorta .. and my signature block below shows the

progress made.

 

The above is not intended to be an ad but I have been around these

lists long enough to know that there was going to be a need for

clarification now .. or later .. cause sure as katz got kittens one of

the good list members would stick that up my nose if I didn't explain

it. :-(

 

Besides .. I don't want no stinking orders now anyway .. tomorrow noon

I am gonna take a purty gal to an overnight stay at a Thermal Resort

Hotel around 30 minutes drive from here ..

http://www.patalyahotel.com.tr/ so keep your stinking orders or

give'em to someone else. ;-)

 

So Jay .. to get back to your original question .. or what I think the

question was .. is the Vetiver and Myrrh you have now safe to use on

your skin? Without extensive and expensive testing there is nobody on

this list that can give you a definite yes or no .. some might tell

you to dump it .. but I will not unless there is but a tad left and

you have not properly maintained and stored it over the years. If it

were mine I would do a small skin test .. using no more than a 7%

dilution of the Vetiver .. and a 7% dilution of the Myrrh .. and I did

NOT pull those percentages out of my rear end .. or get them from an

AT novel.

 

If you note the slightest bit of irritation from those tests .. then

the oil is sorta beyond the normally expected Shelf Life.

 

Same applies to those oils I marked with asterisks (*) above.

 

If I didn't answer your question .. and you wanna give me or others

another shot at it .. go for it. But I might have answered some you

didn't ask yet .. I don't like piecemeal answers anyway.

 

Y'all keep smiling. :-)

 

Butch http://www.AV-AT.com/