Edge of the spectrum

Caring for your essential oils – the secrets preserved since the Egyptian civilization!

Remember the prism experiment of splitting sunlight into a colourful spectrum at school? Well, this happens because the sunlight comprises of several frequencies that get split to form colourful spectrum - from red (lowest frequency) to violet (highest frequency). Frequencies higher than violet light are known as ultra-violet or UV rays, and frequencies lower than red light are known as infra-red or IR rays. While this colourful spectrum looks fascinating, it is extremely damaging for essential oils!

Essential oils contain complex organic compounds and there is no surprise that sunlight has an adverse impact on these delicate molecules. Volatile compounds in essential oils get easily broken down by not only sunlight but also light from man-made sources! Therefore, essential oils should always be kept in a cool, dark place away from sunlight and other sources (such as halogen lights).

It has been known since ancient times that the most effective storage medium for essential oils is violet or cobalt glass. The Egyptian civilization was the first to discover the protective properties of violet glass and used it extensively for storage. Unfortunately, today many people are ignorant of light’s damaging effects on essential oils and store them in clear bottles. Even many suppliers sell essential oils in transparent glass bottles - clearly, either their oils are adulterated or they are trying to save a few bucks. Amber glass, brown glass or green glass bottles are a significant improvement over clear glass bottles, but are still not ideal to preserve these fragile elixirs. What comes as a surprise is that despite well-established advantages of violet glass, even the popular brands and suppliers (including the pricey ones) continue using clear or amber glass.

At Aroma Tierra, we place extra emphasis on quality storage and source premium violet glass bottles from Europe, tailor-made for preserving essential oils. Our violet glass bottles blocks the complete spectrum of visible light except the violet part. While selectively blocking the visible spectrum, this special glass allows select portions of UV and IR frequencies to pass through. This unique combination offers optimal protection against the ageing processes caused by visible light, thus lengthening durability and potency of products. Our glass has undergone a series of tests in cooperation with various research institutions to substantiate these advantages and to perfect the level of tint for maximum preservation.