New year… a fresh start… it’s time to get organized! Whether it’s going through your closets to ditch that sweater you never wear, organizing your kitchen cabinets or taking inventory of your essential oils, there’s no better time than now to clear out the clutter. While we can’t help you decide which outfits make the cut, we can help you make sure your essential oil collection is neat, organized and positively display-worthy!
Tips for Proper Storage
Essential oils don’t expire per se, but they do have a limited shelf life. You can maximize the shelf life of your oils by following a few guidelines.
Avoid heat. When essential oils get hot, there is an increased risk that that oils will oxidize, especially citrus oils. When essential oils oxidize, they start to lose their potency. So you need to keep them in a cool, dark place to protect your investment. Some even go as far as to store them in the refrigerator! While it’s not necessary, it is a foolproof way to keep your oils in a cool, dark place. Just make sure to seal your oil up in a bag or airtight box so your food won’t absorb their aroma. Or get a minifridge especially for your oily collection.
Avoid light: Light is another thing that can cause essential oils to break down. Leaving your oils in their original amber glass bottles is a must. If you do transfer your oils to make blends, keep using amber glass bottles to help protect them. You’ll also want to make sure not to store your oils anywhere in direct sunlight, which means window sills are definitely out.
Avoid air: Lastly, it’s always important to make sure the lids on essential oil bottles are tight. When the caps are loose, it allows the oils to evaporate, which can reduce their aroma and effectiveness. And no one wants that.
Where to Store
With those tips in mind, it’s up to you where and how you want to store your oils. Be creative! On display and tucked away, organize them in a way that best suits you.
Display Shelves
Show off your love for your essential oils by displaying them on racks, shelves or cabinets. Not only are all the beautiful bottles decorating your space, but it’s also an easy way to keep them at hand and organized. And if you maybe don’t want or need your whole collection on display, you can leave out a few of your most-used oils. Your favorites will be within easy reach whenever you need them. And since they’re the oils you use the most, it’s less likely that they’ll be oxidized.
Drawers
Gool ole drawers. Not only do they meet the “cool, dark place” requirements, but it’s easy to keep them well organized and all in one place. You can use inserts and organizers to help keep all your oils neat and tidy and help them from sliding around when you open and close the drawer.
Boxes and Cases
Both essential oil boxes and our hard cases are great ways to store your oils. They have the advantage of being more portable. And as is the case with our hard cases, the extra padding helps keep the bottles safe if they need to be moved around. Having multiple smaller boxes around also allows you to sort by how much you use your oils, singles vs blends, or even type (florals, woods, citruses).
Travel Case
We all have those oils that we never want to be without. Maybe it’s Peppermint for the car, Lavender for when work stresses you out or Sleep Aid when you’re out of town. A travel case keeps your bottles safe and your best oil buddies nearby. Just toss it in your purse or bag and you’re ready to go!
How to Organize
Once you’ve decided where to keep your oils, it’s up to you how to organize them. Some go for alphabetical, some by color and some by type. You can even just put them in order of most to least favorite. It’s entirely up to you! You know best how you’ll be able to find the oil you need when you need it.
To show off your current oily storage masterpiece or search for organization inspirations, check out our Safe Essential Oil Recipes (SEOR) Facebook Group!
