You probably know, finding high-quality CBD can be a challenge and when you’ve finally discovered a product which works for you, how do you store the stuff, so that it retains its potency and doesn’t turn rancid?
Like anything natural we consume, CBD and other cannabinoids are subject to degrading over time. Light, heat and air can breakdown cannabis compounds, and it’s why most CBD hemp oil is placed in a dark and airtight bottle.
Taking the right steps to look after your oil will help maintain the cannabinoid profile along with ensuring it doesn’t taste foul before you reach the end of the bottle!
Let’s take a more in-depth look at how best to preserve your CBD oil.
Tinctures are the most common way to use cannabidiol, where hemp extract is diluted in a carrier oil such as hemp seed oil or MCT coconut oil.
Research Indicates that light exposure is the most significant factor in the deterioration of cannabinoids, closely followed by exposure to air.
As a result, keeping your oil in an airtight tincture bottle, stored in a cool and dark place is vital to ensure product stability. It’s the reason why some people choose to refrigerate CBD oil, as it ticks all the right boxes for optimal storage.
That might make you wonder, does CBD oil need to be refrigerated? Not necessarily, but it is the easiest way to store your purchase without looking for somewhere else cool and dark!
If you are looking for other places to keep your CBD a cool cabinet away from light, a dry pantry, the basement or cellar are all ideal locations to store your CBD oil.
Depending on the exact type of CBD oil, you have shelf life can vary. The quality, packaging and storage of the oil can all alter the period your bottle stays fresh for.
On average, your new bottle of CBD can be kept fresh for between 18-24 months since bottling with the right storage and if it is unopened. Once open, a CBD tincture will maintain its cannabinoid concentration and overall profile for around six months, assuming you keep the bottle stored in an appropriate place.
However, products which are considered raw, i.e. undergo no heating and are minimally processed, can have a shorter shelf life due to natural changes in the oil and in particular the carrier oil.
For example, raw CBD hemp oil is usually a mix of raw full spectrum hemp paste combined with raw hemp seed oil. This product will likely have a shorter shelf life than another CBD oil which has undergone some further processing by way of decarboxylation (heating).
Activating the CBD extract found in the hemp paste through heating turns precursor acids into the compounds we are familiar with such as CBD or THC. This process naturally extends the shelf life and the durability of the CBD cannabis oil.
Nature & Bloom CBD oils are labelled with a best before date for ease. Just take a glance and ensure you use your CBD before this date for the best results.
You might be asking does CBD oil expire? Yes, CBD oil has an expiry or best before date, which is the date until which the product is expected to remain stable and useable.
After this period the CBD oil may change taste and consistency; and as a result, it’s suggested you don’t use the item after the expiry date as with anything else you would ingest.
To give you visibility of how long our CBD oil will maintain its freshness, Nature & Bloom CBD oil comes with an expiry date. You can find this information listed directly next to or above the batch number located on the bottle.
Like anything else you ingest, if the taste or smell has changed, you might want to double-check if your CBD oil has expired.
If your CBD oil smells different, is cloudy and a different viscosity to normal, you should probably throw it away and purchase a new bottle.
You will likely know from looking at and tasting your oil it has expired beyond its use date. It’s also wise to cross-check the expiry date before using a bottle of CBD oil you have had stored away from a while and not used.
Tinctures might be the most popular way to use CBD, but the variety of choice available today is far-reaching beyond just CBD drops.
Other products are generally easier to store as they don’t necessarily have a best before date as they aren’t food supplements for ingestion.
On the flipside, concentrates such as CBD Isolate products should be stored in a cool and dark place too even though they are not consumed orally. This is because concentrates are highly potent forms of CBD which are subject to deterioration from exposure to air, light or heat too.
Ahmed is the founder of Nature & Bloom. When he’s not working, you can find him travelling, working out or hanging out with friends and family.
Disclaimer: Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of Nature & Bloom and its staff. This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, cure or prevention for any disease. Nature & Bloom products have not been evaluated by the MHRA.