When Good Oils Go Bad

 The following blog was written by Katie at Happy Girl Hair. It's chock full of information about oils - if you're making your own lotion bars following my DIY video, follow these guidelines:

About a week ago, I tried a little Kukui nut oil on the girls' hair. I used it to make a homemade body butter a few months ago and had a nearly full bottle kicking around, so I decided to put it to use. I couldn't remember what the oil smelled like when the bottle was fresh and when I gave it a sniff this time, it had no particular scent. Within minutes of application the girls' hair smelled absolutely awful.

 
That experience and a couple of recent emails I received asking how oils are supposed to smell has prompted today's Good to Know. In this post, we'll take a look at the shelf life of a few oils and butters commonly used on hair. Knowing what the product should smell like, look like, and feel like will help us avoid using an oil that's past its prime.


Coconut Oil- Unrefined

Shelf Life: about 2 years

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  • Scent: light to deep coconut

  • Appearance and Feel: white and creamy

  • Melting Point: 76°

  • Good to Know: Can be gritty, even in new jars.

  • Time to Buy a Fresh Tub: when the scent doesn't remind you of tropical islands, or the gritty bits don't melt easily.

Shea Butter- Unrefined

Shelf Life: about 1 year

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  • Scent: nutty to shortening-like, can have a distinctive aroma

  • Appearance and feel: yellowish and creamy

  • Melting Point: 89-95°

  • Good to Know: shea butter can have a really strong smell, while you may not find it pleasing, it doesn't necessarily mean the butter is rancid 

  • Time to Buy a Fresh Tub: when the product loses it's distinctive smell or smells off.

Jojoba Oil

Shelf Life: about 2-3 years

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  • Scent: very little noticeable scent

  • Appearance and Feel: golden liquid oil

  • Melting Point: it is a liquid wax that can become cloudy or solidify in very cold temperatures

  • Good to Know: jojoba is pronounced ho-ho-ba

  • Time to Buy a Fresh Bottle: this is very stable and does not become rancid for a long time, buy a new one if the scent changes or seems off.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Shelf Life: about 10-12 months

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  • Scent: can be complex and varies depending on olives used and brand

  • Appearance and Feel: deep golden to green liquid oil

  • Melting Point: n/a

  • Good to Know: you can use the same type of olive oil you cook with for your hair

  • Time to Buy a Fresh Bottle: when it smells slightly off, or rancid. Taste is a good indicator too.

It's easy to tell if an oil is truly rancid, that smell is like no other. Exposure to oxygen, light, and heat can cause an oil to become rancid prematurely. Store your oils in a cool, dark place and keep them tightly capped to prolong their life. I recently ruined half a jar of otherwise perfectly good coconut oil by failing to screw the lid on tightly for a few weeks. : (

If you have a refined and deodorized butter that you haven't tried before, have an oil or butter that has no scent but should, or have an oil or butter that doesn't smell exactly right but doesn't smell rancid, proceed with caution. Do a patch test on an easily washed part of the hair, or on the skin, first. Just a little bit of information and testing may keep you from using a whole lot of time, shampoo, and conditioner to remove the smell of oil that is going bad.


Shelf life and melting point information from Mountain Rose Herbs and other sellers of natural oils and butters.