Essential oils have been in use for nearly 6,000 years — intended for therapeutic, hygienic and spiritual purposes — and they remain quite popular today. Claims about their benefits range from stress and pain relief to insomnia and psoriasis treatment, with a global market expected to reach $14.1 billion by 2026.
But each vial of extract has a limited shelf life that consumers should consider.
Essential oils are concentrated extracts made from steaming or pressing the roots, leaves, seeds or blossoms of various plants. Producing a single bottle of essential oil may require large quantities of a single plant.
“Everything natural degrades — food, wine, plant extracts, vegetable oils and essential oils,” says Robert Tisserand, aromatherapy expert and founder of Tisserand Institute, an online education portal for the safe use of essential oils. Like fruit, essential oils oxidize, which means the components of the oil change chemically when exposed to ...
