OUR GUARANTEE OF PRODUCT QUALITY
Aadrea Essential Oils guarantees that our products (essential oils, oleoresins, absolutes, hydrosols) are processed with care, keeping in mind the varied applications as food additives, seasonings and condiments, pharmaceutical and medical ingredients, herbal supplements, as well as in atopical (skin surface) uses. We guarantee the products are processed in food grade stainless steel distillation units, non corrosive extraction tanks, and we take the utmost care to separate and containerise the pure oils in safe to use, durable, non corrosive packages. Product packaging reflects our unique trade marks, corporate logos and identifiers; as well as a product information links, QR codes for reference materials on our website. Our pure essential oil products are potent, meet local and global certification standards, and will remain viable for use if stored correctly as recommended on this page, for the duration of time indicated by the expiry dates.
Aadrea Essential Oils
Naturally, In Every Drop
Know the Product … Know its Purity
Essential Oils – Absolutes – Oleoresins – Carrier Oils – Blends – Fragrance Oils
Essential oils are a concentrated mixture of natural, volatile, and aromatic compounds obtained from plant material — flowers, buds, seeds, leaves, twigs, bark, herbs, wood, fruit, and roots.
Oleoresins, Absolutes, just like essential oils are natural extracts, however, the process by which they are extracted is a little more complex to the steam distillation procedure used to extract most essential oils are extracted, and usually require the use of a solvent material (such as carbondioxide at supercritical temperature and pressure; or ethanol) to get them loosed from the substrate in which they reside.
Carrier oils, unlike the forelisted, are simply plant fats — usually from plants’ seeds, nuts, or kernels, and they are quite beneficial in their own right. Carrier oils do not contain a concentrated aroma like essential oils — though some may have a mild distinctive smell.
Purity
Just as the name implies, a substance is at the highest state of purity when it contains no external elements or molecules that make its concentration less than 100%. For instance, the purity of steam distilled oils is nearest to 100% if the pure steam distillate is collected ina clean aparatus, and the steam is removed off as a hydrosol. Similarly, supercritical extraction methods that use pure (99%+) Carbondioxide tend to generate very pure absloutes or oleoresins since the CO2 used does not remain as a residue in the final product.
Blends and Fragrances
Blending is the term used to define the process of mixing essential oils, either with other oils, including carrier oils, or the dillutants such as alcohol.
A mixture of pure oils is a pure blend. The concentration of this blend becomes the sum total of the components.
However, where a carrier oil, or another dillutant, such as alcohol, is used to increase the volume of the mixture, the purity of the essential oil(s) becomes less than required to qualify for Pure essential oils.
In making fragrance oils, sprays and spritzers, it is a perfumers role to ensure the appropriate blend is constituted, in the right proportions, so that the aromas of each component complement each other. However, the resultant blends “or fragrance oils” should not be taken to be, or priced, or used in place where a pure essential oil is required, such as food and beverages, or pharmaceutical manufacture.
Safety and Precautions
Shelf Life explained
Content Copyright: American College of Healthcare Sciences https://achs.edu/blog/2018/03/20/do-essential-oils-have-a-shelf-life/
Essential oils (and base oils used for blending) have a shelf life. There is an ideal window of opportunity to use these products when they are healthy and robust. From the moment a fresh seed, nut, or fruit is pressed to release the fixed oil trapped inside, the ravages of the elements start the process known as oxidation, which leads to rancidity (breakdown of oils chemically, and resulting into ‘off’ odours and flavours), in some instances.
All base oils will experience this oxidation and rancidity if they are not protected from oxygen, light, and heat. It can also occur with essential oils. The essential oils will start to change in composition from the moment they are released from the plant during the magical process of steam distillation. This is a natural consequence of time and conditions.
Why Essential Oils Oxidise
Essential oils are effective (their health benefits, or therapeutic actions) as a result of the active constituents in them, namely monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, monoterpenoids, and sesquiterpenoids.
Unfortunately, when monoterpenoids and sesquiterpenoids come in contact with the air, they oxidize.
Essential oil constituents are unsaturated compounds, chemical compounds that contain carbon-carbon double bonds or triple bonds.
Oxygen molecules attach to the double bonded carbons in base oils and remove a carbon molecule (in the process forming a carbon-oxygen bond). Where light and heat are combined to the oxygen, and now we have a bigger problem, with the oils becoming both oxidized and rancid (or spoilt).
How long can essential oils last
The shelf life of essential oils varies. It can depend on the temperature they are stored at and their exposure to light and oxygen. Oxidation occurs much faster at higher temperatures and with greater exposure.
Ideally, you want to store your essential oils in a cool, dark place, in a full glass or food-grade aluminum bottle with a tight-fitting lid. You can even store them in the refrigerator, which is specifically recommended for citrus oils because they are more susceptible to oxidation; typical shelf life for citrus oils is nine months to one year.
In general, to be on the safe side, replace your essential oils after three years, with the exception of patchouli P. cablin, sandalwood S. spp., vetiver V. zizanioides, and ylang ylang C. odorata var. genuina oils. Again, these four get better with age. Do not waste your older essential oils though as they make great cleaning products once diluted.
Shelf life spans
Content copyright attributable to: Aroma Web https://www.aromaweb.com/articles/essential-oil-best-by-date-expiration-shelf-life.php ; Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young (2013): Essential Oil Safety
Generally, pure essential oils do not go rancid and they don’t really have a hard set expiration date. Over time, however, essential oils can oxidize, deteriorate and gradually lose their therapeutic value and aromatic quality.
The lifespan of essential oils can potentially vary tremendously from one botanical to the next, from one distillation to the next, and from one supplier to the next.
1-2 Years
Citrus, Neroli, Lemongrass, Frankincense, Tea Tree, Pine and Spruce Oils (i.e. Oils that contain monoterpenes, particularly limonene, are more prone to oxidation. The more monoterpenes an oil contains, the shorter its shelf life. Most citrus peel essential oils, except Bergamot, consist of 90% or more monoterpenes, and thus are oils that have the shortest shelf life. Other oils that generally consist of over 80% monoterpenes include Angelica Root, Cypress, Frankincense, Pine and Spruce oils.)
2-3 Years
Most All Other Essential Oils (i.e. Oils that contain a higher percentage of aldehydes, oxides, monoterpenols, esters, ethers, phenols or ketones.)
4-8 Years
Sandalwood, Vetiver, Patchouli (i.e. Oils that contain a high percentage of sesquiterpenes and/or sesquiterpenols have the longest shelf life. Although the aromatic quality of these oils may improve over time, their therapeutic quality can still diminish. Thus for therapeutic use, it may be wise to use within the lower threshold of 4 years. Other oils that contain a significant percentage of sesquiterpenes and/or sesquiterpenols include Copaiba Balsam, Gurjun Balsam and Myrrh. Some Cedarwood distillations have higher sesquiterpene concentrations.)
How to recognize expired or oxidized essential oils
On occasion, oxidation can render the aroma of an essential oil rather unpleasant. But, in most cases, oxidation won’t be quite as obvious.
You should look for changes in both the aroma and viscosity of the essential oils. An essential oil can also change color and usually darkens.
Dangers of using expired or oxidized essential oils
Spoilage affects the aromatic benefit of the oils, mainly by giving off or foul odours from the oils. It can result in irritation or sensitization, which can cause skin rashes, burns, peeling skin, or other unpleasant side effects.
About Carrier (Base) Oils
Base oils are used to dilute essential oils for topical use, such as for massage blends, bath blends, aromatic blends, or body scrubs, among others. Always use a high-quality, cold-pressed or unrefined vegetable, nut, or seed oil—such as coconut, avocado, almond, jojoba, grapeseed, argan, or rose hip and others —with either a single essential oil or a blend of oils selected for a specific therapeutic purpose. Base oils can also be used to dilute essential oils to create culinary extracts.
Pure, unrefined oils do not include preservatives, but they have a natural shelf life, like essential oils. Maximising their safety or shelf life requires that you observe some good storage arrangements.
When fresh, many oils like coconut oil contain antioxidants, which scrub harmful free radicals from the body. However, rancid oils can increase the amount of free radicals in the body, which can damage cells and encourage diseases like cancer, diabetes, and more.
Cool temperatures
Keep the oil in a place that is not exposed to sun-heat, or other heat sources.
Normal room temperatures are ideal for most oils, but longer shelf life can also be achieved by refridgeration or ensuring lower temperatures for storage.
Sealed dark bottles
The best storage of the oil is in its original sealed container. The most ideal containerisation is an amber glass bottle or an aluminum can. Both types ensure that as little UV sunlight rays as possible will radiate through the oil resulting in phototoxicity, when oil is used on the skin
Air tight containerisation
Oxygen – the number one source of oxidation and rancidity.
Reducing oil exposure to oxygen is achieved by ensuring that opening and reopeining of the bottle caps is minimised as much as possible. In addition, ensure the screw-on caps provide an airtight seal.
Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to treat, diagnose, cure, or prevent disease. Always consult with your physician or doctor before making any significant changes to your health and wellness routine.