When searching for a high-quality CBD oil product, one of the main factors you should consider is the expiration date. The shelf life of CBD oil determines how long you will use the products. If you are going to use only a few drops every day, you need CBD oil with longer shelf life. But what’s the average shelf life of such products, and how can you minimize the degradation of CBD Oil? Below is an overview of how long does CBD oil last and how you can improve it.
How Long Does CBD Oil Last?
CBD oil products can expire. The average shelf life of CBD oil products is 14-24 months, depending on the quality of the product and how it is stored. High-quality CBD products that are well stored usually have a longer lifespan than those of lower quality that are poorly stored.
Factors that Determine the Shelf Life of CBD Oil
There are several factors that determine how long CBD oil lasts, and these are mainly the type of ingredients and the quality of the product. Understanding these factors can help you choose high-quality products with long-lasting benefits.
- Ingredients
- Extraction process
- Quality
- Storage
- Packaging
Ingredients
It’s the top factor that determines the shelf life of CBD oil. Apart from the organic hemp extract, other ingredients such as flavoring have their shelf life, which can influence the overall lasting power of the product. When it comes to shelf life in relation to ingredients, less is more. So, go through the certificate of analysis and product label to determine the number of other ingredients found in the CBD oil.
Extraction process
Even though there are several methods of extracting CBD oil, the CO2 extraction process is currently the industry’s gold standard. It’s highly effective in maximizing the level of CBD and those of its cannabinoids. Besides that, CO2 extraction also helps to keep the cannabis plant compound stable.
Quality
High-quality CBD oil products have a longer shelved life than the others. The quality of CBD depends on growing conditions and the overall quality of the hemp plant. Besides that, the quality of other ingredients also determines the quality.
Storage
Where you store your CBD product determines its quality in the long run. Some areas accelerate the degradation process, leading to reduced shelf life. The ideal storage condition should be room temperature away from direct sunlight or contaminants, and this will help retain the freshness and potency of CBD oil for longer.
Packaging
You have probably seen that most CBD oil products are stored in amber bottles. The amber bottles aren’t just for esthetics, but the dark color helps block direct light that may interfere with the quality of the product. CBD oil products with longer shelf life are usually packaged in dark-colored and airtight glass containers that help protect the plant extract from light and air exposure.
The Impact of Different Extraction Methods on CBD Oil’s Shelf Life
Since there isn’t a specific regulatory body in the medical cannabis industry, extracts methods are also not standardized. Regardless of that, all these techniques significantly impact CBD’s shelf life, depending on its pros and cons.
- CO2 Extraction
- Solvent Extraction
- Steam Extraction
CO2 Extraction
As stated above, it’s currently the industry gold standard. The high-quality method involves the use of naturally-occurring CO2 to produce clean CBD oil that’s rich in cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and phytochemicals.
The effectiveness of this technique is due to the use of closed and pressurized chambers. Each chamber usually contains a different component, including a chamber with C02 that separates the cannabinoids from the plant. Products made by CO2 extract usually last longer due to their high usability.
Solvent Extraction
It’s a cheap but less popular method of CBD oil extraction. This technique relies on using solvents such as butane and hexane to extract various compounds from the hemp plant extracts. However, solvent extraction usually leads to lower quality of CBD products, which usually reduces the overall shelf life.
Steam Extraction
It involves the use of heated water to create a steam vapor. This vapor is then cycled over the cannabis hemp plant, leading to the breakdown of cell walls, releasing the oils. These oils will mix with water but later on separate through vapor. Even though this technique involves the production of safer CBD oil, it can be quite cumbersome.
How to Tell if Your CBD has Gone Bad
Since CBD expires, it’s important to understand the features of CBD products that have gone bad. The common tell-tale signs include:
Dark and Murky CBD Oil
If your CBD oil product appears dark and murky, there are high chances of expiring. It’s worth noting that the color of CBD oil is clear/white or dark brown/ dark green. The color usually varies depending on the amount of hemp extract used and the type of carrier oil used. Carrier oil such as MCT coconut oil will produce a cloudy consistency.
If you are unsure of the appearance, simply hold the bottle to a light source. While doing this, ensure that you store the oil at room temperature since the change in appearance could also be due to the temperature change.
Smell and Taste
If you don’t trust your eyes, you can rely on your nose and tongue, and at least one of them has to give you clear results. Natural CBD oil products have a bitter-earthy flavor and scent, and this may be described as a “grassy” or “Nutty” flavor in some instances. However, an expired CBD oil will have a musky smell and rancid taste.
This could be due to the carrier oil going bad. Generally, carrier oils such as hemp seed oil, olive oil, and coconut oil have neutral flavors. But once they go bad, they have that annoying sour taste.
Ineffectiveness
Do you think that your CBD oil is simply not working for you? Well, it could be because it has expired! You might even have tried to increase the dose, but nothing worked. This simply indicates that the compounds found in the product could be no longer effective since they don’t have functional properties.
Will Expired CBD Oil Make You Sick?
There are high chances that an expired CBD oil won’t make you sick. In fact, in most cases, there will be no effect. This is because cannabinoids in such products usually degrade and eventually lose their potency. So, if you use such a product, you won’t gain its therapeutic effects. However, you need to be extremely cautious and avoid unnecessarily using an expired CBD oil product.
How Long Does CBD Remain Good Once It’s Opened?
It all depends on how fast you use the product and store it. Research studies indicate that after being opened many times in many months, the product’s efficacy starts to decline. The wrong conditions, such as high temperatures, would reduce the effectiveness of the compound. For instance, a research study established that storing CBD oil at 37 degrees celsius led to up to 20% of the CBD compound degrading in just 30 days. Besides that, light also resulted in a 15% degradation in the same timeframe.
Where to Buy Quality CBD Oil
The shelf life of CBD oil also depends on its quality, which means where you buy the product matters. To purchase high-quality CBD oil with longer shelf life, then you should make purchases from a reputable manufacture’s official website.
How to Store CBD Oil
Knowing the shelf life of CBD oil is critical for its use and storage. CBD oil is sensitive to temperature, light, and oxygen like most medications and wellness products. So, you might want to consider where you store your product for safety purposes.
One of the best places to store your product is in the pantry with other types of oils, including cooking oil. CBD oil products from reputable sources come in airtight and tinted glass bottles to reduce exposure to light and regulate temperature. Besides that, the tight air bottles are designed to effectively keep excess oxygen and other contaminants out of reach since their might speed up the expiration process. to improve and maintain your product’s freshness, here are a few storage tips that can help you:
- Retaining the oil in its original packaging helps prevent unwanted air exposure.
- Storing the oil at room temperature, i.e., between 16 and 21 degrees celsius.
- Use a clean dropper or tablespoon to avoid contamination every time you use the oil.
- Tightly close the bottle’s lid to keep oxygen out.
- Storing the oil in a cool and dry place, away from direct sunlight.
- Finally, avoid exposing the oil to all potential cold and heat sources. This means that you shouldn’t store your product close to windows, stoves, conditioners, and radiators.
Conclusion
Buying quality CBD oil can be expensive. Even so, this doesn’t guarantee you that you will get a lasting shelf life. Other factors such as storage, manufacturing methods, and packaging also influence the quality of the product in the long run. CBD oil expires, but you can improve its shelf-life by choosing a high-quality organic product from a reputable manufacturer. Additionally, you should consider your storage options. To minimize the chances of degradation, ensure that you store your product at room temperature, away from direct sunlight and contaminants. If you notice your product is darky and murky, has an unusual smell, or is no longer effective, then it has probably expired.
