HOW DO I LOOK AFTER MY ESSENTIAL OILS?
So, you’ve bought your lovely new essential oils and you can’t wait to use them but just a word of caution about how to look after them and store them, and why you need to do this.
Where do they come from?
Essential oils are extracted from a single botanical source i.e. Orange Essential Oil, Citrus sinensis, only comes from the fruit of an orange, Neroli, Citrus aurantium, only comes from Orange blossom and so on and so on. They should all be different prices, different colours and have different viscosity.
What they all have is an aroma and therapeutic properties. They should be treated with respect not used neat on the skin and at no time taken orally. There are some people out there who are advocating the use of essential oils internally, this can be quite dangerous. They should always be diluted into a vegetable oil a base cream or lotion or even a shampoo or soap. The only time you can use them neat is when you add drops of essential oil to a burner or a vaporiser.
How do I look after them?
As soon as you take the lid of your bottle you will inevitably get a hint of an aroma. Essential oils are highly volatile, they evaporate! SO when not in use keep that lid on!
They will also start to oxidise once the lid is off; oxygen, as well as keeping us all going also ages things! Oxidation also occurs when they are left in a sunny spot. That’s why the majority of essential oils come in either an amber or blue bottle. This helps protect the essential oils from UV light. If someone is selling an essential oil in a transparent glass bottle don’t buy it!
Citrus essential oils, in particular, oxidise more rapidly than other essential oils and the best advice is to store them in your fridge. It would be a good idea to buy a box to store them but always take them out of the fridge for at least an hour before use to bring them up to room temperature. Some essential oils will solidify when cold, so, if you’re in a hurry rub the bottle between your hands to warm them up a little quicker and bring them back to a liquid.
The Reasons why?
The reason for all this is to protect their therapeutic value because as they deteriorate they won’t work so effectively and may cause a reaction on your skin. As a guide use your oils within two years of opening them and for the citrus family use within 6-8 months of opening.
So….
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Keep the lids on between use
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Keep them cool
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Keep them out of direct light
But above all enjoy them!