As your essential oil collection grow, so does the need for organization. In order to benefit from essential oils, you need to use them and use them often. If your oils have a designated and accessible home, you are much more likely to make them a part of your daily routine. Follow along as I discuss how to organize and store essential oils.
How to Organize & Store Essential Oils
Keeping essential oils organized is one way to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks. If you’ve ever accidentally picked up a hot oil by mistake, you’ll understand why this is important (think Thieves and Tea Tree. Ouch!).
Young Living packages all their oil bottles with uniquely colored labels. Some color combinations are obvious, like with citrus oils for example. Orange has an orange label, Lemon has a yellow label, and so on.
Some oils have labels that are very similar in color, making it easy to mistake an oil if it is not properly marked. Lavender has a beautiful purple label. But so does Harmony and also Release. Tea Tree has a label very similar in color to Thieves. Rosemary and Peppermint look nearly identical. This is particularly important if you are applying oils topically, but it can affect diffusing too.
Labeling Essential Oil Bottles
Having a label on the lid of your essential oil bottles is one to avoid mistaken identity. Undiluted hot oils can cause skin irritation and even burning. There are several options for lid labels that will help you clearly identify an oil.
My favorite labels are from Young Living. They have a label for every single oil that Young living produces. This makes it helpful for some of their unique blends. The labels are also correlated to the color of the bottle. You can also find some wonderful options on Amazon and also Etsy. I actually find labeling my oil bottles very relaxing and satisfying. Get the kids involved and make it an activity!
Ways to Organize Oil Bottles
How you arrange your essential oil bottles is really a personal preference. Here are a few ideas to help you get your collection organized:
- By Color: If you have a small collection this works well. Plus, the oil bottles look so pretty in a rainbow pattern! This is not my favorite method since it can be easy to forget the actual color of a bottle. I once spent 20 minutes looking for basil before I realized it was blue, not green.
- By Group: You might dedicate a section strictly for citrus oils, another for tree oils, or emotional support oils. I do this for my vitality oils, especially in the kitchen. I also have a section for oils that I diffuse daily, that way they are close at hand.
- Alphabetically: This is a great method for organizing a large number of oils, and when you have duplicates. You will always be able to find the oil you are looking for, without having to look too hard. I like this method for oils displayed in drawers at a 45-degree angle.
- By Use: If you would prefer, you can also organize oils by how you use them. You might dedicate a section of your storage for oils to promote a healthy respiratory system or oils that support energy levels. If you have an educational app that you use or a book, look for oils that have similar properties and group them together.
Essential Oil Storage Ideas
One of the best easy to use more oils is if they are easily accessible and in plain sight. If your oils are stored away in a hard-to-reach cabinet, you are much less likely to use them.
Here are some clever (and attractive) ways to store your essential oils in your home:
- Diffuser Storage – I love having a selection of oils right next to my diffuser. This 2-tiered shelf is perfect! You can store your diffuser on top and all your favorite oils down below. Keep this area for oils you diffuse on a daily and weekly basis.
- Wall Storage – A wall shelf works great in a bathroom or bedroom with limited space. A shelf will hold a decent amount of bottles, and you can organize them in any fashion.
- Drawer Storage – If you have extra drawers in your home, use it for extra essential oil space. I try to store some of the oils I don’t use frequently. These oil holders are specially designed for drawers and they showcase the label perfectly.
- Decorative Countertop Storage – An essential oil rack can be both a home accent piece and also a useful storage unit. I have found some great options at local home stores that work for storing oil bottles. A simple nail polish organizer will do the trick.
- Storage Blocks – A storage block works great to display or highlight just a few of your favorite oils. It also makes for a great conversation piece of you have visitors!
- Boxes and Bags – If you are traveling or storing extra oils, a box or a bag works great.
Want more essential oil storage ideas? Check out my favorites here.
How to Safely Store Essential Oils
It’s important to use and store essential oils safely. Here are some important tips on how to properly store oil bottles:
Storing Essential Oils
- Always store essential oils in dark glass containers in a cool location. Some essential oils will degrade in heat or direct sunlight.
- If you are storing essential oils in the kitchen to use in food recipes, then be sure to store away from the heat of the stove or oven.
- Make sure that the bottle lids are on tightly. Loose lids can allow essential oils to evaporate. This would diminish their benefits and aroma.
- Keep essential oils out of the reach of any children. Treat them just as you would any other potent substances in your home. These are concentrated essences and could be extremely dangerous for children.
- Essential oils have a longer shelf life than any dried herb, seed, or flower. Essential oils, when stored properly, will maintain their intense flavor and aroma for years. This is why I LOVE using essential oils in cooking recipes!
I would love to hear your ideas to organize and store essential oils!
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