Essential Oil Shelf Life & Storage Tips

Cracking the mystery of an essential oil's lifespan is quite the adventure! The conditions of storage can be as varied as the oils themselves, and they play a huge role in determining how long your precious oils can last. Now, imagine receiving your essential oil straight from the distiller, its fresh aroma barely contained in a dark, full, and tightly sealed glass bottle. Keep it cool, and voila! You've set the stage for some educated guesses about its longevity.

But remember, these are just insights from Fresh-Picked Beauty, gleaned from years of experience and a deep dive into the fascinating world of oil chemistry. I've found that a dedicated refrigerator for my oils does wonders, and for citrus oils, I prefer to buy small quantities to ensure they're always fresh and zesty.

Finding out the exact distillation date of your oil can be a bit of a detective job unless you reach out directly to the essential oil company. The key is to stick with trustworthy sellers who can provide batch-specific details like the distillation date.

Keep an eye out for changes in your oils—cloudiness, increased thickness, or a more acidic smell could mean your oil is oxidizing.

Personally, I'm a big fan of Mountain Rose Herbs. They offer Certified Organic oils and sell such a large volume of essential oils that you're almost guaranteed to get oils that are freshly distilled, authentic, and bursting with freshness!

Approximately 6 months to 1 year from distillation:
Grapefruit - Citrus paradisi
Lemon - Citrus limon
Lime- Citrus aurantifolia
Mandarin - Citurs reticulata
Mastic - Pistacia lentiscus
Nutmeg - Myristica fragrans
Orange - Citrus sinensis
Palo Santo - Bursera graveolens

Approximately 2-3 years from distillation:
Balsam Fir - Abies balsamea
Common Spruce - Picea Communis
Conifer Blend - Abies alba, Pinus nigra, Pinus wallichiana
Cypress - Cupressus sempervirens
Douglas Pine - Pseudotsuga menzies
Engleman Spruce - Picea engelmanii
Eucalyptus citriodora - Eucalyptus citriodora
Eucalyptus globulus - Eucalyptus globulus
Eucalyptus radiata - Eucalyptus radiata
Frankincense - Boswellia carterii
Galbanum - Ferula galbanum
Helichrysum - Helichrysum gymnocephalum
Helichrysum - Helichrysum Odoritissimum
Honey Myrtle - Melaleuca teretifolia
Juniper berry - Juniperus communis
Juniper (Utah) - Juniperus osteoperma
Larch - Pinus resinosa
Laurel - Laurus nobilis
Lemongrass (West Indian) - Cymbopogon citratus
May Chang - Litsea cubeba
Melissa - Melissa officinalis
Myrtle - Myrtus communis
Niaouli 1,8 cineole - Melaleuca Quinquenervia
Norway Pine - Pinus resinosa
Oregano - Origanum vulgare
Pinion Pine - Pinus redulis
Plai - Zingiber Cassumunar
Ponderosa Pine - Pinus ponderosa
Rhododendron - Rhododredron Anthopogon
Rock Rose- Cistus ladaniferus
Saro - Cinnamosma fragrans
Scotch Pine - Pinus sylvestris
Silver Fir - Abies alba
Thyme ct thymol - Thymus vulgarus ct thymol
White Fir - Abies concolor
White Pine - Pinus strobus

Approximately 3-4 years from distillation:
Black Pepper - Piper nigrum
Black Spruce - Picea mariana
Bergamot - Citrus bergamia
Citronella Java - Cymbopogon winterianus
Clove-Eugenia caryophyllata
Coriander - Coriandrum sativum
Elemi - Canarium luzonicum
Fragonia - Agonis fragrans
Eucalyptus - Eucalyptus dives
Fingerroot - Boesenbergia pandurata
Gingergrass - Cymbopogon martinii var sofia
Helichrysum - Helichrysum bracteiferum
Hemlock - Tsuga caneaensis
Lemongrass Rhodinol - Cymbopogon citratus ct rhodinol
Neroli - Citrus aurantium var amara
Opopanax - Commiphora guidotti
Ravintsara - Cinnamomun camphora
Rosalina - Melaleuca ericifolia
Rosemary - Rosmarinus officinalis ct camphor/verbenone
Siberian Fir- Abies siberica
Sitka Spruce - Picea sitchensis
Suganda Kokila  - Cinnamomum glaucescens
Sweet Marjoram - Origanum marjorana
Tamala ct linalol - Cinnamomum tamala
Tea Tree - Melaleuca alternifolia
Turmeric - Curcuma longa
Vanilla - Vanilla planifolia
White Spruce - Picea glauca
Yarrow - Achillea millefolium

Approximately 4-5 years from distillation:
Bergamot Mint - Mentha citrata
Cardamom CO2 - Elettaria cardamomum
Basil - Osimum basilicum ct linalool
Clary Sage - Salvia sclarea
Geranium - Pelargonium x asperum
German Chamomile - Matricaria recutita
Ghandi Root - Homalomena aromatica
Ginger - Zingiber officinale
Helichrysum - Helichrysum italicum
Ho wood - Cinnamomun  camphora ct linalol
Jasmine Absolute - Jasminum grandiflorum
Lavender - Lavandula angustifolia
Linalol berry - Bursera delpechiana
Neroli/Petitgrain Co-distill - Citrus aurantium var amara
Palmarosa - Cymbopogon martini
Peppermint - Mentha x piperita
Petitgrain - Citrus aurantium
Roman Chamomile - Chamaemelum nobile
Rose/Geranium co-distill - Rosa damascena/Pelargouium
Rose Otto/Absolute - Rosa damacena
Rosewood - Aniba rosaeodora
Spike Lavender - Lavandula latifolia
Thyme (Benchmark) - Thymus zygis loefl l.
Thyme ct linalol - Thymus vulgarus ct linalol
Wild Mint - Wild Mint
Xanthoxylum - Zanthoxylum armatum
Ylang Ylang - Cananga odorata

Approximately 6-8 years or longer: 
Balsam Capaiba - Copaifera officinalis
Balsam Poplar - Populus balsamifera
Blue Cypress - Callitris intratropica
Carrot seed Daucus carota
Cedarwood - Cedrus atlantica
Cedarwood - Juniperus virginiana
Myrrh - Commiphora myrrha
Patchouli - Pogostemom cablin
Sandalwood - Santalum album
Spikenard - Nardostachys jatamansi
Vetiver - Vetiveria zizanoides

General shelf life from a chemical family perspective:
About 1-3 years – Monoterpene rich oils, Monoterpene/Oxide (cineole) rich oils, Monoterpene/ Aldehyde rich oils, Monoterpene/Monoterpenol rich oils.
About 3-5 years – Monoterpenol rich oils, Monoterpenol/Ester rich oils, Ketone
and Phenol rich oils (Phenols are closer to 3 years).

About 6-8 years, or longer – Sesquiterpene rich oils, Sesquiterpenol rich oils.