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Caring for
Your Essential Oils

Most people don’t think too much about their essential oil bottles. You use a few drops, put the lid back on, and move on. But there’s actually quite a bit going on in that small bottle, from what it’s stored in, to what’s written on the label, to how it’s kept over time. And once you understand those details, it tends to change how you use your oils.

Glass vs Plastic

Essential oils are highly active compounds. Over time, they can interact with certain materials - particularly plastics, causing them to degrade or affect the oil itself. This is why essential oils are almost always stored in glass, typically amber bottles that help protect them from light and maintain their stability.

Carrier oils on the other hand, are a little different. Because they are composed primarily of fatty acids rather than volatile compounds, they are far less reactive. This allows them to be stored safely in high quality plastic without compromising their integrity.

For practical reasons, many carrier oils are packaged this way, particularly in larger sizes where weight, transport, and breakage become considerations. We are currently, gradually transitioning our carrier oils into amber PET bottles, which offer better light protection while still maintaining the durability and safety benefits of plastic, so you might find a few sizes changing to amber bottles, later in the year! 

Reading the Label

Most labels are read at a glance, but they’re designed to communicate something quite specific. The Latin name is there to remove ambiguity. Common names can overlap or vary between regions, but the botanical name tells you exactly which plant the oil comes from, and that matters, because even closely related species can produce very different oils.

The extraction method is just as important. A steam distilled oil behaves differently to a cold pressed one, both in composition and shelf life. It’s not just a processing detail, it gives context to how the oil should be used.

Then there’s the batch number. This isn’t there for aesthetics. It links your bottle back to a specific distillation run. Essential oils aren’t identical from batch to batch - climate, soil, harvest timing all play a role, so traceability matters more than most people realise. Altogether, the label is less of a product description and more of a reference point.

Storage & Longevity

If there’s one thing that impacts essential oils over time, it’s oxidation. Exposure to air, heat, and light gradually changes the composition of the oil. Sometimes this shows up in the scent first, sometimes in performance.

The three things that matter most are simple:

  • Keep lids closed tightly
  • Keep oils out of direct sunlight
  • ​Keep them in a stable, moderate temperature

That’s it.

There’s no need for refrigeration or complicated storage systems. It’s also worth noting that not all oils age the same way. Citrus oils tend to oxidise faster due to their structure, while woods and resins are far more stable and can last for years when stored properly. 

A More Considered Approach

Understanding these details - how they’re stored, what’s on the label, how they’re handled, means you get a lot more out of your oils. Caring for them properly doesn’t need to be complicated. It simply means they last longer, perform better, and stay true to what they are over time!

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