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This is how to make your essential oils last longer

aromatherapy dilution essential oils safety

You might be working with a smaller budget at the moment, but there’s no reason you can’t still enjoy using essential oils. That’s why we’re sharing some of our simple methods for making your essential oils go the extra mile, and preserving their quality when you store them. 

Where are you storing them?

Citrus oils are known to degrade when placed in direct sunlight, but ideally, all of your essential oils should be stored in a cool, dark place. It’s important that essential oils are contained in the right materials, such as aluminium screw cans or amber glass bottles. When essential oils aren’t stored properly in appropriate containers, the fragrances can quickly degrade and lose their effect.  

Carrier oils are your friend

If you’re using essential oils on your skin, combining them with a carrier oil is the best way to achieve a long lasting fragrance. Carrier oils such as coconut, jojoba or grapeseed are rich in fatty acids which have a similar structure to the natural oils found on the skin. This means they can penetrate the top layer of skin, and retain the essential oil fragrance for much longer than other forms of dilution. For example, a water-based body mist with essential oils would quickly evaporate on the skin. 

Understanding base, middle, and top notes 

When you’re mixing a diffuser blend, you might be tempted to combine all of your favourite scents, but essential oils tend to work best when they’re layered properly. These layers can be broken down into base, middle and top notes, with base notes lasting the longest, and top notes lasting the shortest amount of time. If you’ve ever noticed a scent combination smelling completely different by the end of the diffusing period, a few of the oils have probably evaporated entirely, leaving only the base note. 

If you want to add long-lasting fragrance to your room, make sure your blend includes a base note. For a full breakdown of essential oil notes, and examples of which oils fit into each category, check out this blog post

Turn down the heat

Warm or cool water diffusing is an effective way to fragrance a room, but be wary of oils getting too hot. Diffuser technology has come a long way since the traditional ceramic styles. Now, you can find diffuser-humidifier hybrids which use cool water, and won’t spoil the scent of your essential oils. Choosing one is a question of preference, but make sure you’re buying something which won’t get too hot. 

Use oils on your clothing

If you’re wearing essential oils as a fragrance, apply them to your clothing instead of your skin. Regular handwashing and outdoor exposure quickly fade the fragrance, but when essential oils are applied to a material they tend to last until the next wash. Also, this is a great option for people with sensitive skin who still want to enjoy wearing their essential oils. 


Do you have a trick for making your essential oils last longer? Maybe you’ve discovered some fragrance combinations that linger all day? We’d love to hear from you! Pop us an email or leave your comments on Instagram and Facebook.

Click here to shop our full collection of long lasting essential oils. 


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  • Kylee on

    Hi Abbey. Are cardboard tubes okay to store essential oil based perfumes in? They’re mixed with sunflower wax and jojoba oil. Or will the perfume lose its scent in the cardboard? Thanks!

  • Abbey Essentials on

    Hi Mary Ann,

    That fragrance sounds incredible! Unfortunately, there’s only so much you can do to maintain a fragrance oil over the years. Naturally, they’re going to degrade eventually. It’s amazing the oil has lasted over 35 years already!

  • Mary Ann on

    I have worn a wonderful vanilla oil-purchased from a store on Castro Street in SF, for years! Whenever worn, in the past, there were “always comments about the fragrance one could smell”—wherever I was!!! This endured for several years, (maybe 35 or so) and I could always smell it on my clothes (around collars, etc.).

    Recently, I put it on, there is “little fragrance” and there is little if any comments on it. I can’t smell it after a couple of hours (or less). I can smell the fragrance in it’s bottle, but not like I used to do! I am now awaiting a new couple of bottles—from the same vender—and HOPE it is like the original.

    He suggested heating the bottle to help increase the fragrance. Didn’t change it. I have plenty on right now, and cannot smell it. Note that none of my other faculties are lost…so just curious as to how I can get back the original fragrance? Thanks. MA

  • Shameara Rout on

    How I get my oils that I make last all day

  • Abbey Essentials on

    Hi Hannah! We’d recommend exploring which fragrance notes you’re using. Typically, base notes last longer, and top notes fade fastest. For examples, cedarwood is going to last much longer than grapefruit. The ideal blend for toilet bombs that will last longest is one that combines base, middle, and top notes. Hope this helps!



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