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| A cool, dark corner |
The hunt for oils is the fun part. Maintaining your collection for safe use is the less than fun part. There is one great enemy of our beloved essential oils, OXYGEN. We need it but the oils do not. Oxygen combines with the chemical constituents of essential oils to slowly change and degrade them over time. Oxidization speeds up with increased temperature. Some oils will also be effected by UV from light. So what can we as home users do to minimize the effects of oxygen?
Storing your oils properly can save you a lot of money and possibly a chemical reaction from an oxidized oil irritating your skin.
The simplest, most cost effective way to increase the shelf life of your oils is to store them in a cool place away from light. Multiple options exist for this already in your home. It just takes time to find the right spot or locate a good storage container. If you have young children, take into account their curiosity. You can even look for lockable storage.
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| My fridge box |
If you do not have a separate refrigerator, the oils that benefit the greatest from refrigeration are the blue oils (yarrow, German Chamomile), citrus (tangerine, bergamot) and the evergreens (pines, spruces). I buy some of my citrus in larger quantities and refrigerate all but a small bottle for everyday use. I highly recommend sealing your bottles stored in the fridge in some kind of container to avoid having all of you food taste like grapefruit fir!
For some with large collections, or that buy in bulk a separate refrigerator becomes necessary. Dorm style or mini fridges are often home users first choice. They range in size and it is generally best to plan on enough room for your carrier oils too. That is right, carrier oils oxidize as well.
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| EOs, carriers waxes and butters |
These are the most common ways to preserve your collection. There is one additional way that is rarely talked about and much under rated. It can be combined with both of these to maximize your investment. It is a subject in and of itself so I will be discussing decanting next.
Storage ideas; These are just ideas, examples of possibilities! So many options! There is only one word of caution, collections grow and shrink over time. Flexible is a good idea.
Spice racks
http://amzn.to/1Uzs7j0
http://amzn.to/1ip7IRK
Nail Polish racks
http://amzn.to/1ip7Qkk
http://amzn.to/1KT9o0Y
Tool boxes (lockable)
http://amzn.to/1VFXjzs
Craft boxes
http://amzn.to/1ip8m1z
http://amzn.to/1KTaIkv
Custom EO storage
http://amzn.to/1VFXI4S
http://amzn.to/1VFZ4wD
One last word on storage ideas; ETSY! Seriously, I do not recommend Etsy for oils but for storage, check them out!
