Every bottle of CBD oil has an expiration date, and that’s a good thing! Each bottle should have an expiration date stamped on it, and that date could range between a year to two years from the bottling date. Why do CBD oils expire? The CBD extract is usually stable as long as it’s stored in a dry place away from direct sunlight.
The answer to the question about CBD oil expiration dates has to do with four things: whether the brand uses preservatives, the type of carrier oil they use, the color of the glass bottle, and whether it’s certified organic.
Tip #1: Preservatives
Does your favorite CBD brand add preservatives to its CBD oils? To determine if your CBD oil contains preservatives, you need to look at the ingredient list. One leading brand includes these ingredients in its CBD oil: Hemp Oil (aerial plant parts), Olive Oil, Monk Fruit (Siraitia grosvenorii), Silica, Monolaurin, Quillaja Saponaria, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Alpha Tocopherol, and Water.
What is all that stuff? If you don’t recognize an ingredient, chances are it’s a preservative. Adding these extra ingredients gives this product a longer expiration date, but does it make a better product? Probably not.
Tip #2: Carrier oil expiration dates
Often, it’s the carrier oil that risks expiring before the CBD extract that it’s blended with. How long does a carrier oil safely last in a bottle? Here’s a quick list of the primary carrier oils and how long they last:
Hempseed oil has a short shelf life and can go rancid in as few as six months after manufacturing. CBD oil made with hempseed oil has a short shelf life.
MCT coconut oil is the most popular carrier oil because of its shelf stability. It’s considered safe on the shelf for 18 to 24 months.
Olive oil is another carrier oil with a shelf life of about two years.
Tip #3: What color is the glass bottle?
Does the color of the glass bottle affect CBD oil expiration dates? Absolutely, yes. That’s because CBD is sensitive to UV light, which can cause cannabinoids to break down. Any CBD oil in a clear glass bottle has a much shorter shelf life than CBD oil in an amber glass bottle.
Tip #4: Look for the USDA organic seal
When shopping for CBD oils, you don’t want the product with the longest shelf life, you want the most natural product you can find — and the expiration date is just something to be mindful of. The best thing to see on a CBD oil label is the USDA organic seal, from a brand like Cornbread Hemp.
Cornbread Hemp’s USDA organic CBD oils contain only organic hemp flower extract and organic MCT coconut oil, with an expiration date set at one year from bottling. They never add preservatives to their CBD oil — because they don’t need to.
When looking for CBD oils based on expiration date, always choose USDA organic CBD oils, like those made by Cornbread Hemp.
