You’ve purchased lots of CBD oil, but does that mean you can keep it forever?
No!
Just like everything else, CBD will eventually expire.
What is the shelf life of CBD oil?
When it comes to this handy oil that boosts your mood and makes you feel relaxed, you’re looking at a shelf life of between 14 and 24 months.
If you’ve had CBD oil in storage for longer than this amount of time, then it’s best to replace it with a new one.
This is simply because the CBD won’t be as active as it needs to be to give you all the benefits you want from it.
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But It’s Natural?!
One of the misconceptions with natural products is that they cannot go rancid.
This is something you might assume when it comes to CBD because it’s taken from the cannabis or hemp plant.
And, if your CBD oil contains natural ingredients such as coconut oil, you might assume the same thing: those natural ingredients are natural and maybe even organic, so they should remain fresh forever.
But that’s not true. CBD oil will still expire even if it contains natural and organic ingredients.
So, with that in mind, let’s look at how to properly store CBD oil and look at whether it’s safe to consume CBD oil that’s already expired.
How Should You Store Your CBD Oil?
You might think that storing your CBD in any way is fine, as long as you use it within its shelf life.
But that’s not true. If you don’t look after your CBD oil in the right way, you can decrease its lifespan and waste a good product.
That’s why you need to ensure you follow the correct tips when storing CBD oil. Here are the most important ones.
- Store your CBD oil in a place that’s both dry and cool. This will keep it fresh.
- Make sure you keep it somewhere dark as light can make it get too hot. Ideally, the place where you store your CBD oils should not be hotter than 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Why Is The Above Important?
Elements such as heat and light are common ones that lead to product degradation.
These can affect the cannabinoids in your CBD oil, making their concentrations change.
While choosing a dark, cool spot for your CBD oil is important, you might wonder if storing it in the fridge is safe.
Indeed it is because it’s a good spot that’s free of light and heat.
What about your freezer, you might be wondering. This is only advised for storing CBD oil that you won’t be using for a long time so that you can keep it fresh.
The reason for this is because you don’t want to have to thaw your CBD oil whenever you need to use it. It’s quite impractical.
When it comes to heat, the reason why you should avoid keeping CBD oil somewhere in the house that gets hot is because of how the CBD oil was extracted from the hemp plant.
See, the extraction process that was used can never ensure that your CBD oil is completely pure.
It might contain some oils that will react in a bad way to heat and totally change the CBD properties.
You can tell that heat has affected your CBD oil if it looks thick or murky. That is, in fact, something to look for in general when you want to check if your CBD oil has expired.
Along with keeping CBD oil away from sunny windows, you should also be mindful of other sources of heat in the home that can negatively affect its integrity.
Examples include heaters and hot stoves as well as other appliances that release heat.
What About Air?
Heat and dampness aside, you should also keep your CBD oil well sealed so that air can’t get into it and degrade it.
Oxygen can alter the chemical breakdown of the oil and make it less effective to use.
This is known as “oxidative stress.” A practical storage method is to leave CBD oil in the packaging that it came in so that you don’t let air break down the cannabinoids that are in it.
Most companies that produce CBD oil will choose packaging that eliminates light and preserves the oil.
Other Important CBD Oil Storage Tips
- Keep the CBD oil bottle or container in an upright position. Although this might sound strange, it actually makes a difference in keeping the oil fresh. This is because if the bottle is lying on its side, the oil inside it can make contact with the plastic of the lid or even the dropper, and over time that can degrade its quality.
- Keep the CBD oil away from contaminants. You might be keeping your oil in a place that’s dry, cool, and dark, but it could still become contaminated if the product has a dropper. If you touch the dropper with dirty fingers when using it, this can make germs enter the oil. It’s a good idea to be hygienic when using any kind of CBD product so that you don’t put germs in it.
Is It Bad To Use CBD Oil That’s Expired?
Sniffing your CBD oil can give you clues into whether or not it’s expired. If it smells “off” or different to how you know the oil usually smells, that’s a good sign it’s expired.
If you’ve smelled it and it doesn’t smell quite right, you might think it’s not so bad to use. But here’s why it’s never a good idea to use expired CBD oil.
It Will Taste Bad
Now, at the very least, you don’t want to use expired CBD oil that you consume because it will taste horrible! Who wants that?
It Won’t Work As Well
If it’s expired, you can’t be sure that it will still give you the effects you want from it, such as tranquility or pain relief.
Many CBD oil products contain other ingredients, such as vitamins, and consuming these when they’ve gone rancid will also make you miss out on their potent effects.
It Might Make You Sick
Will expired CBD oil really make you sick?
There are conflicting views on this, with some people saying it can make you sick while others suggesting that it’s not dangerous to consume rancid CBD oil.
Whatever the case, when a product expires, it’s a sign that it’s lost its effectiveness.
It’s also important to consider that whenever a product expires, it means that it can no longer ward off bacteria.
When bacteria grows in it, this can cause it to become harmful to those who consume it.
If It Contains Food Ingredients, Especially Avoid Using Expired CBD Oil!
It might not be the expired CBD oil that you need to worry about.
If the CBD oil you’ve purchased contains food ingredients, then you should especially not use it after it’s expired.
Some CBD oils will contain ingredients such as coconut oil or other fats, and when these expire they can become harmful.
You wouldn’t eat food that’s expired, so why use CBD oil that’s over the hill? It really should be treated in the same way.
Related Questions
What CBD extraction method has a longer shelf life?
CBD that’s been extracted with the CO2 method is considered to be the best because it maintains the chemical nature of the plant, and will have a longer shelf life.
Solvent methods that are used to extract CBD will result in a shorter shelf life.
When is the best time in which to use CBD oil?
Although CBD oil will typically have a shelf life of around a year or two, the best time to use it so that it’s at its most powerful is within three months of opening it, as Medium reports.
What happens if your CBD oil starts to crystallize after being in the fridge?
This isn’t a sign that the CBD oil has become rancid. You can still use the oil. Simply pop it under a hot water tap before use!
Conclusion
Does CBD Oil Expire?
CBD oil can be expensive to purchase, so you really don’t want it to expire before you can use and enjoy it.
In this article, we’ve looked at some of the most important tips to follow when storing your CBD oil correctly and safely.
We’ve also looked at what the general lifespan is of CBD oil so you’ll know when you should toss it in favor of a new product.
