To Plastic or Glass, that is the question.
- Christina, WA, IPC, MHFA
- Oct 1, 2016
- 2 min read
Often, I get asked "why can't you put oils in plastic containers?" and I explain all the logistics behind it - but it's not true that oils are not safe for ALL containers and ALL applications, either. So, I'm going to clarify this just a bit and hopefully you'll have a better understanding when we're finished!
So, there's 2 different container categories.
Water bottles you drink from
Containers you use for cleaning, personal care, storage, etc.
Drinking Bottles
When you are using essential oils as potent as ours for internal use and decide to drink them in your water (i.e. lemon, metabolic blend, lime, etc), you need to be using a GLASS or STAINLESS STEEL water bottle.
Well, when you put oils - citrus oils specifically - into a plastic bottle, it can do one of several things. The top two are listed below...
Eat through the plastic
Pull the chemicals out of the plastic and into the beverage - which then you INGEST!
Yikes! Know why this happens? Because the oils are very potent - they are very strong and in essence they are attacking the unnatural substances in the plastic! If you get a chance, take some Wild Orange or another citrus oil and put a drop onto a styrofoam cup - you will very quickly watch it melt away the plastic substance and eat a hole into the cup!
Q: "But, if the oils are that strong, how are they safe??"
A: The oils being very potent is a GOOD THING! It means that they will work well with the body. They are safe for humans because we are made up of natural substances just like the oils. They are only attacking the plastic/foam because it's a fake chemical composition. Make sense?
Containers for cleaning, personal care, etc.
Examples of containers in this category are shampoo bottles, cosmetics, bottles you add oils to for cleaning.
Plastics that are safe for use in this category are HDPE (2) and PETE (1). If you look on the bottom of the bottle, most instances you'll see a recycle symbol with those names/numbers.
I added the oils Patchouli, Clary Sage, and Melaleuca to my clarifying shampoo
to support healthy scalp and hair! (plus, it smells amazing!)
Storing Oils
It is recommended that when storing oils long term, they should remain in their original packaging or in amber/dark glass bottles - especially citrus oils. When you use them for cleaning or other short term applications, like adding oils to your shampoo, etc, putting them in the safe plastics is OKAY.
So enjoy your oils! Experiment with them! Read about them and educate yourself using the Modern Essential Book or Living Magazine! If you know the little things, you'll make a big impact!
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