What Bottles Are Best for Storing Essential Oils? Full Guide for 2024
If you’ve ever gotten into essential oil use, you’ve probably found yourself staring at a pile of random bottles after a big DIY blend session, wondering: wait, what am I actually supposed to store these in? I know I’ve dumped a couple of my favorite lavender oil mixes into a random plastic travel bottle before, only to realize a week later the oil smelled weird and off. Total waste, right? Let’s break this down properly, so you never mess that up again.
First things first: the number one rule for storing pure essential oils is to keep them away from light, heat, and anything that might break down their active compounds. That’s where the right container comes in. Let’s start with the most common question I get all the time: can you use plastic bottles for essential oils?
The Short Answer: Glass Is the Gold Standard for Pure Essential Oils
Let’s get the big one out of the way first. For undiluted, pure essential oils, dark amber, cobalt blue, or frosted glass bottles are non-negotiable. Here’s why: sunlight and artificial light can break down the delicate chemical compounds in essential oils super fast, which makes them lose their scent, their healing benefits, and even turn them rancid over time. Plain clear glass does basically nothing to block light, so that’s a hard pass.
You might be wondering why most essential oil lids have plastic parts, then! I thought that exact same thing when I first started using oils. Turns out, the plastic used for bottle caps and dropper inserts is specifically formulated to be resistant to breakdown from high-concentration essential oils. Most brands use food-grade, BPA-free plastic that won’t leach chemicals into your oil or get corroded by the oil’s natural acidity.
Okay, so what about those plastic travel bottles you see at the drugstore? Can you use those for essential oils? Let’s dive deeper.
Can You Use Plastic Bottles for Essential Oils?
Here’s the thing: not all plastic is created equal. Some plastics will actually react with essential oils, break down, and contaminate your blend. I’ve heard way too many stories from people who used a random plastic spray bottle for their DIY room spray, only to find the plastic turned cloudy and the spray stopped working a few days later. Not fun!
There are a few plastic types that are safe for short-term use with essential oils, though:
- PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate): This is the clear plastic you see on water bottles and soda containers. It’s pretty resistant to most essential oils, but it’s not ideal for long-term storage because light can still get through it.
- HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene): This is the opaque, stiff plastic used for milk jugs and some laundry detergent bottles. It blocks light way better than PET, and it’s really durable against essential oil breakdown.
- PP (Polypropylene): This is the plastic used for most food storage containers and even some baby bottles. It’s super resistant to chemicals, and it’s the most common plastic used for essential oil diffuser parts, believe it or not.
Here’s the big catch, though: even these safe plastic types aren’t meant for long-term storage of pure essential oils. Pure, undiluted essential oils are super concentrated, and over time, they can still slowly break down even these durable plastics. If you do use a plastic bottle for a quick travel blend, make sure you use it within a week or two, and don’t leave it sitting in direct sunlight or a hot car. I always keep a few small HDPE plastic bottles in my purse for when I need to take a drop of peppermint oil for an upset stomach, but I never leave them in there for more than a few days.
Also, never use PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) plastic for essential oils! That’s the soft, flexible plastic used for some food wraps and shower curtains, and it will break down almost immediately when exposed to essential oils. You’ll end up with a oily, plastic-y mess that’s ruined both your oil and your bottle.
What About Diluted Blends? Like Massage Oils or Sprays?
If you’re making a diluted massage oil, a room spray, or a body mist, you have a few more options, but you still need to be careful. Diluted blends have a lower concentration of essential oils, so they’re less likely to break down plastic, but that doesn’t mean you can just use any old bottle.
For diluted blends, you can still use the safe plastic types we talked about earlier: PET, HDPE, and PP. But again, I’d still recommend using glass whenever possible. Glass won’t react with your blend at all, and it will keep your oils fresh for way longer. If you do use a plastic bottle for a diluted blend, make sure you use it up within a month or two, and store it in a cool, dark place.
Another great option for diluted blends is aluminum bottles. Aluminum is totally light-proof, and it won’t react with essential oils at all. It’s also lightweight and shatterproof, which makes it perfect for travel. I love using aluminum spray bottles for my DIY room sprays, because they’re easy to pack and they keep my blends fresh for months.
What About Hydrosols and Carrier Oils?
Okay, so we’ve covered pure essential oils and diluted blends, but what about other common aromatherapy products? Let’s talk about hydrosols and carrier oils.
Hydrosols, like rose water or lavender hydrosol, are way gentler than pure essential oils. They’re made by distilling plant matter with water, so they have a much lower concentration of active compounds. That means you can safely store them in PET, HDPE, or aluminum bottles, in addition to glass. Just make sure you don’t leave them sitting in direct sunlight, because even gentle hydrosols can break down over time if exposed to light.
Carrier oils, like jojoba, sweet almond, or coconut oil, are also pretty gentle. They can be stored in glass bottles, but you can also use PET or HDPE plastic bottles, too. Just like with everything else, keep them in a cool, dark place to keep them from going rancid. I’ve had a 16oz HDPE plastic jug of jojoba oil that lasted me over a year, and it still smelled and worked perfectly.
Don’t Forget About Diffusers! Oh, the Plastic Diffuser Drama
Let’s switch gears for a second, because a lot of people forget that their diffuser is also a container that comes into contact with essential oils. Most cheap diffusers on the market are made with PP plastic, which we already said is safe, but that doesn’t mean you can just pour pure essential oil straight into the water tank and call it a day.
Here’s the thing: even though PP plastic is resistant to essential oils, over time, repeated exposure to concentrated oils can cause some minor breakdown, especially if you don’t clean your diffuser after each use. I’ve had a cheap diffuser that started smelling like plastic after a few months of using it every day, and I realized I’d been skipping the cleaning step. Yikes!
Waterless diffusers, like reed diffusers or ceramic diffusers, don’t have this problem, but if you use a water-based diffuser, here are my top tips:
- Always clean your diffuser after each use. Just empty out the water, wipe down the tank with a paper towel, and let it air dry. This will prevent leftover oil from building up and breaking down the plastic.
- If you have a plastic diffuser, consider using a diffuser pad or a cotton ball inside the tank to keep the oil and water from directly touching the plastic. This will extend the life of your diffuser and keep your oils tasting (and smelling) fresh.
- Skip the “water-soluble essential oils” you see advertised online. Those oils have added solvents to help them mix with water, but they’re not the same as pure essential oils, and they can actually cause more damage to your diffuser’s plastic parts. Plus, they don’t have the same therapeutic benefits as pure essential oils. Total buzzkill, right?
I’ve switched to using a ceramic diffuser for my daily use, just because I don’t have to worry about plastic breakdown at all. But if you’re on a budget, a plastic diffuser works totally fine, as long as you take care of it properly.
Other Pro Tips for Storing Essential Oils
Okay, so we’ve covered the best bottles for essential oils, but there are a few other things you should know to keep your oils fresh and effective:
- Store them in a cool, dark place: A pantry, a closet, or a drawer is perfect. Avoid keeping your oils near your stove, a window, or a hot water heater, because heat will break down the active compounds super fast.
- Keep them upright: This might seem like a no-brainer, but if you lay your essential oil bottles down, the oil can seep into the lid and cause a leak. I’ve had a bottle of tea tree oil tip over in my cabinet once, and it stained all of my other oils. Not a fun cleanup!
- Label everything: If you’re making DIY blends, make sure you label the bottle with the date you made it and the ingredients inside. This will help you keep track of when your blend is going bad, so you don’t accidentally use a rancid oil on your skin.
- Avoid temperature swings: Don’t move your essential oils from a cold closet to a hot bathroom all the time. Rapid temperature changes can cause condensation inside the bottle, which can dilute your oil and make it go bad faster.
Let’s Recap So You Don’t Forget
If you’re still feeling overwhelmed, here’s a quick cheat sheet to keep in mind:
- Pure essential oils: Use dark amber, cobalt blue, or frosted glass bottles only. No plastic, even the “safe” kinds, for long-term storage.
- Diluted blends (massage oil, spray, etc.): Glass is best, but PET, HDPE, PP, and aluminum are okay for short-term use.
- Hydrosols and carrier oils: Glass, PET, HDPE, or aluminum all work great.
- Diffusers: Clean them after every use, and avoid using cheap “water-soluble” essential oils.
I know it seems like a lot of rules, but once you get into the habit of using the right bottles for your essential oils, it becomes second nature. And trust me, it’s worth it. Your oils will last longer, smell better, and work way better than if you just stuck them in a random plastic bottle.
If you’re just getting started with essential oils, don’t go out and buy a bunch of fancy bottles right away. Start with a few small amber glass dropper bottles, and you can build up your collection as you go. You can even reuse the bottles that your essential oils came in! Most brands sell their oils in dark glass bottles, so just wash them out and refill them when you run out. That’s a great way to save money and reduce waste.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, the most important thing is to keep your essential oils safe and effective. Whether you’re using glass, plastic, or aluminum, just make sure you’re avoiding light, heat, and any materials that will react with your oils. And don’t forget to clean your tools regularly, so you don’t end up with a bunch of plastic-y, rancid oil blends.
I hope this guide helped answer all of your questions about storing essential oils. If you have any other tips or tricks, feel free to drop them in the comments below! I’d love to hear how you keep your essential oils fresh and organized.
