Hydrosols

Shelf Life and Marketing - Hydrosols

Most products have a shelf life, and certainly all natural products, particularly those without added preservatives, have a shelf life - usually a short one at that. Why, even Budweiser beer, which is preservative free, has a shelf life of only 110 days. Why is it? then, so difficult for us to understand that hydrosols are the same? Perhaps it is because we are so spoiled by the longevity of most essential oils, which can have a long or even indefinite life span. Many improve with age like fine wine. Is this what has skewed our expectations of hydrosols?

yet many aromatherapy exams include specific questions regarding the citrus and conifer oils because they have a relatively short shelf-life.

It is considered good training to be aware of this and know how to deal with it. Oxidation of these monoterpene-rich oils can happen any time, and if it does, the oil is usually thrown away or used for household cleaning because of the increased dermocausticity.

Shelf life is a fact of life. many of the carrier oils used in aromatherapy have short shelf lives; rose hip seed, avocado, hazelnut, macadamia, borage, evening primrose - the list is endless.

Even long-life carrier oils like, sesame, olive, and real sweet almond oil will go off eventually. So, although hydrosols do have a short life, many of the products we incorporate into our aromatherapy practice actually have shorter lives.

Perhaps our fears should be place in perspective, where we can see that they are born mostly out of lack of knowledge and information and are not the final word on these wonderful products.

Reference: Hydrosols The Next aromatherapy: Suzanne Catty