Use glass or aluminum for storing "pure" essential oils. Pure essential oils are very potent. Care should be taken to ensure they are stored in an airtight container. All oils have different properties and caution and experimentation should be used in determining what kind of container will work best. Most sources recommend a glass bottle with an airtight lid. Rubber and plastic containers and cap components can be damaged and deteriorated by pure essential oils.
Take care to prolong the life of your pure essential oils by storing in a cool, dark, dry place. Sunlight can accelerate the expiration of your essential oils. Some sources recommend using dark amber or cobalt blue colored glass bottles.
Use plastic or aluminum for products containing "diluted" essential oils. Plastic containers, specifically PET, have been shown to store some products containing essential oils remarkably well. In many cases, essential oils are added to lotions or other products. When mixed with a lotion, for example, the essential oil's potency is diluted. Its capacity to infuse the lotion with aroma is not diminished, but its capacity to damage plastic and rubber is. Aluminum containers may also be good options for products containing both pure and diluted essential oils.
PET may also be an excellent alternative to glass for some products. It is less expensive than a comparable glass container, weighs less than glass, and recycles well. PET bottles and jars may be a good option for storing products containing essential oils because it has a high permeability resistance rating.
- View all amber PET plastic bottles
- View all cobalt blue PET plastic bottles
- View all clear plastic bottles
Please test your product/container compatibility. Essential oils are powerful substances with a myriad of properties and potencies. We strongly recommend you test the effect your product will have on your container. We offer free samples of most of our products so that you can test your product with our containers and closures. We cannot guarantee that any container will function properly with your particular product.
Container & Packaging Supply assumes no responsibility for suitability of any container or closure for customer's particular use. It is the customer's responsibility to do product compatibility testing with container and closure selected by customer. We are not responsible for consequential damages arising from customer's selection and use of containers and closures supplied by us.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI just found your blog. Wonder if you can offer some thoughts on this dilemma: I store unscented lotion base in plastic storage bags (to be truthful they are the real cheap ones from the dollar store). The idea being that I can simply scent the lotions in their bags with the essential oils, snip of a corner and pipe into containers. But what I'm finding out is that the essential oils separate out from the lotion base while in the plastic bag if I simply add them to the lotion base and try to incorporate them in the bag. It turns into this oily cottage cheese looking mass. I have to squeeze everything out of the bag re-mix and fill my containers: and yes, it will stay emulsified. It's a real hassle. I don't get the same reaction if I add essential oils as part of the cool down phase first. Any thoughts on this? Is there a different type of plastic I can use i.e. would a ziploc brand bag hold up differently? Or any other way I could do this? I like the thought of scenting as needed. It gives me bette control of shelf-life.
I'd appreciate any help!!
Great blog
Birgit
Great questions Birgit. It sounds like that when you add the oils to the lotion base in the bag that they aren't being mixed together well enough for them to emulsify.
ReplyDeleteI'd recommend replacing the bags for reusable/durable storage containers that you CAN get a mixer into. You could reduce waste, and make your process a little less messy.
I'd recommend storing your lotion base in several B525's, and then seal with an L246F lid for storage. Keep these on the shelf until you need to add oils and fill your retail containers.
When it comes time to add oils, add your oils to the base stored in B525, mix with a hand blender or drill with one of those paint stirring bits, and then swap the L246F lid with a DP16 pump lid so you can more easily fill your retail containers.
Click on these links to see pictures of these containers ... it will make more sense.
http://www.containerandpackaging.com/item.asp?item=B525
http://www.containerandpackaging.com/item.asp?item=L246F
http://www.containerandpackaging.com/item.asp?item=DP16
Once you've used up all of the scented lotion base, you can easily wash out the B525 and L246F and reuse them to store any future batches of lotion base. You'll save money on supplies; these containers are easier to stack/store than bags; filling your retail containers will be less messy; you'll have less lotion waste; and you won't have to empty your bags, mix, and refill them.
Give me a call if you have any questions: (208) 287-2625.
Let me know how this works for you, I'd love to hear about it.
I think I like your idea. I will check out those containers.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your input
Fabulous post! Thanks for the great information!
ReplyDeleteYou were created to live in perfect health your entire life...Naturally
I have received sampples of the PET plastic wide mouth jars. I use them for an olive oil, sugar essential oil body scrub. The problem is they leak at the seal. I mailed one out and it leaked in transit. Glass canning jars are too expensive to ship. The plastic jars hold up well and do not seem to "Weep" Any type of lid that gives a good seal to prevent leaking?
ReplyDeleteDawnmarthur@hotmail.com
Hi Dawn. I'm glad you got the samples. PET is typically pretty good for products "containing" essential oils and other oils. PET has a toleration level for products with essential oils. However, if your essential oils "proof" start to exceed about 5% of your recipe, then it's going to have a hard time staying in the PET. If your recipe is 5% or less of essential oils, you'll want to keep the PET and try some different liners. Foil liners (e.g. heat induction seal or pressure sensitive foil liners) are a better option to use. What container are you using? I could check to see if we have a foil liner that fits it.
ReplyDeleteCan I use white HDPE containers for products containing 2% or less essential oils? Some products don't work well with a PET bottle and pump (like body wash - a pump bottle doesn't work well in the shower).
ReplyDeleteAlso, what does it mean to "test the products with the containers". What should I look for and how long would it take for the product to show damage to the container? Is there some place I can send this for testing?
Thanks!
Tam