Some essential oils get used up relatively quickly and others sit at the back of the shelf for quite some time. How long should we keep them and do they ever expire? These are excellent questions.

Every Food Must Expire By Law

If something is sold for food purposes we must have an expiry date on it.  While essential oils do not expire in the traditional sense of the word some of them will have an expiry date on them because of the category that they are sold in.  Traditionally expiry dates are based on the growth of bacteria and the “spoiling” of a product by bacteria.  This will not be a problem for essential oils because they are oils.  Bacteria cannot grow in them in this way just because they are oils and not water.  Many of our essential oils are antibacterial in nature so that is even more reason for bacteria not to grow in them.  The oils can go rancid though and can also lose some of their constituents, particularly the most volatile or lightest weight components of them.

Bacteria Do Not Grow In Oils

So our oils do not technically expire in the same ways as other foods but they do have an expiry date sometimes the longest date possible from the time of manufacturing just because it is a bit arbitrary. While they do not grow pathogenic bacteria many essential oils can evaporate, changing their consistency.

Essential Oils Can Evaporate if Left Without a Tight Lid

Evaporation happens slowly but it can change the thickness of your oils so if they have been on the back shelf for quite some time and are seeming thicker and more goopy than they were before this may be why. There is something else that can happen when oils are kept in an environment where they are exposed to air.

Essential Oils Can Oxidize

Essential oils can and will oxidize over time. This is a type of rancidity. There are many websites saying that essential oils do not go rancid but they may oxidize. This is really the same thing. This means that the structure of the molecules has been changed and they are no longer healthy for the human body. The amount of time it takes an oil to start to oxidize varies depending on the oil. Each oil will be slightly different. Maybe you keep coconut oil for one year or flax oil for three months and so on.

Every Oil Has its Own Shelf Life

Keeping oils in a cool dark place with the lids on will lengthen the shelf life as much as possible. If I had an elixir fridge (now there’s an idea) I would keep the oils in there.

Please let me know what you think about essential oils, extraction methods and how long to keep them around in the comments above this article. I would love to know your thoughts.

Essential Oils Generally Recognized as Edible.  Don’t eat them without diluting, looking into the purity of the company and working with a mentor or doctor that knows your specific goals.

Alfalfa
Allspice
Almond, bitter
Ambrette
Ambrette
Angelica root, seed, stem
Angostura
Anise
Asafetida
Balsam of Peru
Basil
Bay leaves
Bay
Bergamot
Bois De Rose
Camomile
Cananga
Capsicum
Caraway
Cardamom seed
Carob Bean
Carrot
Cascarilla Bark
Cassia bark
Celery seed
Cherry, wild
Chervil
Chicory
Cinnamon bark and leaf
Citronella
Citrus peels
Clary (clary sage)
Clove Bud
Clover
Coca (decocainized)
Coffee
Cola nut
Coriander
Cumin
Curacao orange peel
Cusparia Bark
Dandelion, all parts
Dog grass
Elder, flowers and berries
Estragole
Fennel, sweet
Fenugreek
Galangal
Geranium
Geranium, rose
Hickory bark
Horehound
Hops
Horsemint
Hyssop
Helichrysum
Jasmine
Juniper berries
Kola nut
Laurel berries and leaves
Lavender
Lavandin
Lemon
Lemon balm (Melissa)
Lemon grass
Lemon peel
Lime
Linden flowers
Locust bean
Lupulin
Mace
Mandarin
Marjoram
Mate
Melissa (see balm)
Menthol
Molasses (extract)
Mustard
Naringin
Neroli
Nutmeg
Onion
Orange, bitter
Orange, bitter, peel
Orange leaf
Orange, sweet
Orange, sweet, flowers
Orange, sweet, peel
Origanum
Palmarosa
Paprika
Parsley
Pepper, black
Pepper, white
Peppermint
Peruvian balsam
Petitgrain
Pimenta
Pimenta leaf
Pipsissewa leaves
Pomegranate
Prickly ash bark
Rose absolute
Rose, otto
Rose buds
Rose flowers
Rose fruit (hips)
Rose geranium
Rose leaves
Rosemary
Saffron
Sage, Greek or Spanish Salvia
St. John’s bread
Savory, summer
Savory, winter
Schinus molle
Sloe berries (blackthorn berries)
Spearmint
Spike lavender
Tamarind
Tangerine
Tarragon
Tea
Thyme
Thyme, white
Thyme, wild or creeping
Triticum (see dog grass)
Tuberose
Turmeric
Vanilla
Violet flowers
Violet leaves
Violet leaves absolute
Wild cherry bark
Ylang-ylang
Zedoary bark