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CBD Oil Shelf-Life: How Long Does CBD Oil Last?

cbd shelf life
Written by Steven Bridge

When it comes to buying food, drinks, and supplements, one thing you need to look out for is that all-important expiration date. That rule also very much applies to CBD oil.

Most products on the market today are perishable over time, and that’s why you need to be aware of the implications and ramifications when it comes to shelf-life. Apart from fine wines, whiskeys, and those long-life meal packs end of dayers buy, all processed items deteriorate as they age. When it comes to natural supplements like CBD oil, the question of shelf-life is an important one.

When it comes to CBD, shelf-life is a vital factor in ensuring you’re getting the most potent and the safest product possible. CBD is not a stable product so finding a brand that can guarantee shelf life is certainly worth your money. That expiry date is based on several things like the quality of the CBD oil and other ingredients. How it was packed and what it was packaged in. Storage and transportation also play a part in the quality of the final product.

CBD Oil Quality

The shelf-life of any product will very much depend on the quality of the ingredients inside. That principle certainly applies to CBD oil for many reasons. In short, the better the quality of the extracted CBD and the lower the additives and solvents, the longer the shelf-life. Shelf-life will be longer on CBD oil which is derived from good quality (usually organic) hemp. If the hemp is grown in nutrient-rich soil and attended to carefully, the product will be of higher quality, and that also affects shelf-life.

It’s simple enough in this day and age to check the CBD oil that interests you in advance. Any reputable CBD oil manufacturer will send their CBD oil to an approved third-party lab for rigorous testing. These lab results offer a full terpene and cannabinoid profile as well as information regarding additives, solvents, pesticides, and heavy metals.

CBD Oil Packaging & Labeling

Food and beverage manufacturers choose the ideal packaging for their products to preserve freshness but also to lengthen shelf-life. CBD producers apply the same principle, and that’s why CBD oil usally comes in a good quality, opaque glass container. The reason for the tinted glass it to keep heat and light exposure to a minimum.

Labeling is another important factor when it comes to understanding the shelf-life of CBD oil. When you buy CBD oil, the label on the bottle should include information regarding dosage, CBD concentration, other ingredients and, of course, that all-important expiration date stamp, most often in black ink. CBD oil, much like any oil, stays good for long periods but you still need to check the company guidelines for the shelf-life.

CBD Best Storage Practices

As with any perishable product one buys, storing it in the right place is always an important factor. Many labels on bottles and boxes will tell consumers how and where to store the product for prolonged and safe storage. Bear in mind that exposure to light, air, heat, and humidity will all have an overall effect on any product, and that also applies to CBD.

CBD oil should be stored in a dark, cool place. According to some research, expose to light is the worst thing for CBD oil and accounts for the majority of any decreased potency. Both sunlight and indoor lights degrade CBD over time, so first and foremost, keep things dark.

Some more good advice is to keep CBD away from kitchen appliances or other devices that produce a lot of heat. Some people, especially those in hot and humid climates, store their CBD oil in the fridge or freezer although this practice is questionable.

Freezing CBD oil, according to some, is not a good thing and the median temperature to aim for is around 70-85°F. Temperatures exceeding 90°F could make your CBD oil appear murky and cloudy. This isn’t necessarily a huge cause for concern, but clear CBD oil is preferable in most cases. 

The opaque blue or amber bottles that CBD oil usually comes in are great. But as an extra precaution, some people wrap them in foil or keep them inside a brown paper bag to ensure minimal exposure to light. It’s best not to keep CBD oil close to a window or in the car.

Oxidative stress is another issue to consider when it comes to CBD oil. That means you want the least amount of fresh air to interact with the open bottle. Always keep CBD oil in the original container you purchased it in and screw the cap on nice and tight once you’re done dosing.

CBD Oil Shelf-Life

As long as the CBD oil you buy is good quality and fresh, and you store it right under the conditions mentioned, your product should last around two years. If you want to ensure you permanently have a supply of CBD oil for emergencies, you could consider storing a bottle of it (nice and tight) in the freezer. This may or may not have an effect on the active compounds over time, but you’ll have CBD oil nevertheless; just in case.

CBD oil shelf-life and the way you store it also has to do with the carrier liquid used in the oil. Most CBD oil manufacturers use coconut oil, MCT oil, or hemp seed oil to carry the CBD extract and terpenes. If your CBD oil contains coconut or MCT, you’ll want to store it the same way you store olive or canola oil. You can be a little less careful when it comes to hemp seed oil as this can be stored just about anywhere with no issue (as long as light and air exposure is kept to a minimum).

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2 Comments

  • I get it, the higher the quality the better, but there’s zero mention of any time frame that it’s good for, what’s the point of this article?

About the author

Steven Bridge

Having been a cannabis and CBD aficionado for many years, Steven spends much of his time opposite a shiny MacBook, researching, exploring, understanding and creating interesting reading for people interested in knowing more about CBD, Vaping, Cannabis Strains and Delivery Methods, and just about anything related to magical green herbs that help people with anything from sleepless nights to pain.