How long will aromatherapy oils last?

[Faery-Wings]

I have some that I have had for 5 years. All of them are stored in their original brown bottles, in a closed cabinet in my closet- no where near heat. I have heard that they last from a year or so to indefinitely. So far, the scent is ok- not "off" or anything. Do you think they are still ok to use?

BB

Chris

[Lavender]

Depends a lot on which oils. I have low & middle note oils that are almost 10 years old. Some improve with age too. And it also depends on how often you open the bottle sometimes. Which oils do you have?

[Laiste]

Ohh! I have to jump in on this...I need the same question answered. I tried to do a search but could not find anything about it! If you wouldn't mind helping me out too ...Wildchild here's a list of the oils I currently have: (or if you know a good site that has the info) Thanks!

Anise star
Benzoin
Bergamot
Camphor
Cinnimon
Eucalyptus
Geranium
Lavender
Lemon
Lemon Grass
Lotus
Myrrh
Orange
Patchouli
Peppermint
Rosemary
Rose
Rosewood
Sandalwood
Tea Tree
Ylang Ylang

[Faery-Wings]

Bergamot
Chamomile, German
Chamomile, Roman
Cedarwood, Texas
Clove Bud
Cypress
Eucalyptus globulus
Fir
Geranium
Grapefruit
Juniper Berry
Lavender
Lavender, Spike
Lemon
Lemon Grass
Orange
Patchouli
Peppermint
Petitgrain
Rosemary
Tangerine
Tea Tree
White Camphor
Ylang Ylang

Are there any of this group that would not last as long as the others, just if you know offhand?

And are there any oils that you feel I am missing? I would love to add sandalwood, but at $32 a bottle, it is not in the budget. ;)

Thanks for your thoughts, as always. :)

Chris

[Laiste]

Chris I purchased some oils, including sandalwood, from http://www.WisperedPrayers.com I don't recall how much I paid for the sandalwood but I know it was no way near $32!! Check out the site...they have some great stuff!:)

Edited to say: the link I posted is not working...don't know why!:rolleyes: OH well I tried!

[Faery-Wings]

Thanks Laiste, I'll check them out. :)

Chris

[seawitch]

i think if the still smell good they are good.
and they probably keep a year or 2 for shelf life

[Lavender]

On the average, essential oils usually last anything from 2 - 10 years depending on the oils. And also how they're stored. Brown glass bottles are the best. I know some people that put glass pellets inside their bottles to bring the level up. Apparently the air space in the bottles will affect your oils. I try not to buy oils that I can't use up within a year. Except for base notes. These will improve with age, I find. There are many different views on the shelf life of essential oils. Even books can't always agree. I have one book that says absolutes & resins have a short shelf life but I find mine seems to improve with age. The best thing to do is to buy from a reputable source & not to buy more than you can use within a year.

Top notes are the most volitile & tend to last up to a year. Middle notes are good from 1-3 years. Base notes are 5-10 years. I have seen resins that are almost 30 years old. They will thicken but age did improve the smell. This is just a rough guide I go by. I've listed your oils in their catagories & hope it helps.

Bergamot - top note - citrus
Chamomile, German - middle note
Chamomile, Roman - middle note
Cedarwood, Texas - base note
Clove Bud - base note
Cypress - middle/base note
Eucalyptus globulus - top
Fir - middle note
Geranium - middle note
Grapefruit - top note - citrus
Juniper Berry - middle note
Lavender - middle note
Lavender, Spike - top note
Lemon - top note - citrus
Lemon Grass - top note
Orange - top note - citrus
Patchouli - base note
Peppermint - top note
Petitgrain - top/middle note
Rosemary - middle note
Tangerine - top/middle note - citrus
Tea Tree - top note
White Camphor - base note
Ylang Ylang - middle/base
Anise star - top note
Benzoin - base note
Cinnimon - base note
Lotus - ?
Myrrh - base note
Rose - middle/base
Rosewood - top/middle
Sandalwood - base note

[Faery-Wings]

Wildchild, you rock! :D

Thanks for the info- I am going to print it out. I started re-reading some of my AT books- terpenes, sesquiterpenes...good fun! ;)After a few years of (editing to add "not") using the info- it is all out of my head. I hope I can pick all of it back up again easily. This helps a lot!

BB

Chris

[Laiste]

Yes Wildchild does rock!!!!

Oh I can't thank you enough for taking the time to provide all that info...now I know what I'm dealing with...thanks again!!

[Lavender]

Heh! You're welcome! Actually, I should thank you guys. I've forgotten so much too. It was good to re-read my books again. :p

I had this discussion with a friend the other day. One thing she said that I thought was interesting was that the notes seems to relate to the viscosity of the oil. Orange sweet is the most volatile & it's almost as thin as water. And as the oils get thicker, they move down the line to middle & base notes. Just a good quick way to roughly guess what your oils are.

[Pip]

Hi,

Your supposed to only keep oils for approx 2 years, but the only thing that happends is the smell fades. I wouldn't advise useing them on the skin but burning them should be ok.

[Scarlettvixen]

Think the link isnt working as u spelt it wrong - oops
i tried http://www.whisperedprayers.com/ and that works
blessed be


Originally posted by Laiste
Chris I purchased some oils, including sandalwood, from http://www.WisperedPrayers.com I don't recall how much I paid for the sandalwood but I know it was no way near $32!! Check out the site...they have some great stuff!:)

Edited to say: the link I posted is not working...don't know why!:rolleyes: OH well I tried!

[Ravensnest]

Actually, it's not just that the smell goes away it's that they become less effective. And, if they were mixed in anyway with a carrier oil the carrier oil will get rancid after a period of a few months to a year or so depending on the oil. The only carrier this doesn't really apply to would be jojba because it's not actually an oil it's a wax in liquid form.

So, if you're using them for aromatherapy purposes keep in mind that after a year or so they probably won't be as effective. If you're just using them for spellwork.. have at it they're probably fine.
Dottie
Ravens Nest Incense & Oils

[Catey]

MM

I went out to that web sight but could not find essential oils. I wholesale Herbs and Oils but you might want to look at Dotti's web sight her oil prices are really good :-) I hope we are allowed to say that . I just always check out everyones web sights and thought her oil prices were very fair. If we are not suppose to say that on this chat please forgive me. I am not sure of the rules yet:-)

May the Lord and Lady always smile on you

Catey

[Laiste]

Originally posted by Scarlettvixen
Think the link isnt working as u spelt it wrong - oops
i tried http://www.whisperedprayers.com/ and that works
blessed be



Duh!! *slaps forehead* LOL