Does CBD Oil Need To Be Refrigerated: Finding the Best Temperature

If you use a lot of wellness supplements in your home, you probably have an organizational system. Some of them go in the cabinet, and the others go in the fridge. CBD is a unique wellness supplement and it’s not cheap — you want to keep it fresh all the way to the last drop. So, where does CBD oil go to stay fresh? The simplest answer? CBD can and should be refrigerated under some circumstances, but in many cases, refrigeration is unnecessary. CBD’s cannabinoids are sensitive to light and heat, and preventing their exposure to both of those things is generally enough to keep your CBD oil potent.

What Is a Cannabinoid?

Cannabinoids are the active compounds in cannabis or hemp plants, although many other plants also produce cannabinoids. The bodies of people and animals also produce special kinds of cannabinoids to power their systems. CBD, or cannabidiol, is a cannabinoid produced by a plant. As the plant grows, it converts the main cannabinoid called CBGA into various other cannabinoids in response to light and heat. Once the cannabinoids have been converted, excessive exposure to light or heat can cause them to degrade into forms that aren’t usable by the body. If your CBD oil is improperly stored, it may degrade. You need to keep your CBD at a stable temperature and store it in a place where light or heat won’t be able to affect the contents of the bottle. This is especially important if you’re using CBD for your pets. If you use degraded CBD, you might not be able to tell if it is or isn’t working — your pet won’t be able to communicate that they aren’t experiencing the benefits.

Your CBD Oil Container Matters

There’s a reason why CBD oil doesn’t come in clear containers or plastic bottles. The dark-tinted glass dramatically reduces the amount of light that’s allowed to enter the bottle, and the glass holds its temperature much better. Plastic easily warms and melts when exposed to light or heat, and it can leach chemicals into whatever is being contained within it. Never put your CBD oil in a different container. Keep it in the container the manufacturer sent it to you in — reputable manufacturers know what they’re doing.

Be Careful Where You Leave the Bottle

CBD needs to be kept as cool as possible and in a dark environment. You should never leave CBD oil in your car, gym locker, or gym bag. You also can’t leave the bottle on a windowsill or put it in a cabinet above a range top or an oven where it may be affected by the rising heat. It’s also unwise to keep your CBD in an area of your home that doesn’t receive adequate air conditioning.

Should You Refrigerate CBD Oil?

The refrigerator seems to meet all the markers for CBD storage. It’s always cool inside and it stays dark when the door is shut. It technically satisfies every requirement. You can store your CBD oil in the refrigerator if you want to, although it may not be necessary. It’s unwise to store your CBD in the refrigerator if children have access to that refrigerator. If you have a minifridge behind a locked door or in a place already secured against children like a home bar, you can keep your CBD there. If you already have a small refrigerator designated for health, beauty, and personal care products like probiotics and fresh skin serums, it already makes sense to store your CBD there. Another circumstance under which storing your CBD in the fridge would be ideal is if you don’t use it frequently. If the CBD product isn’t something you, your family, or your pet uses on a daily basis, it’s going to take a while to use up the bottle. Most CBD products expire about a year after they’ve been opened. If you’re worried about cutting it close, storing your CBD in the fridge may give the product a small boost in longevity. At the very least, it will prevent the CBD oil from expiring prematurely.

Great Places To Store Your CBD Oil

If you’re short on refrigerator space or if you’re worried that children may get into the CBD oil, you don’t need to keep it in the fridge. CBD can be stored in any closet, cabinet, or drawer as long as it won’t be exposed to the heat. Keep it in a room where the temperature remains stable. If the room warms up in the summertime, keep the blinds and curtains closed and leave a fan on. Keeping a stable climate is best for most of your wellness supplements and self-care products. Store them all together in an ideal environment.

What About Foods or Drinks Prepared with CBD?

If you purchased prepackaged food, drinks, or pet treats prepared with CBD, they were sold in a container designed to keep them fresh until their expiration date. If the packaging instructs you to refrigerate them after opening, you should follow the instructions. If you’ve made your own CBD snacks or CBD-infused pet treats, you need to refrigerate them. They can be safely stored in the fridge for at least a few days, depending on the nature of the snack. CBD-infused banana dog treats may only last a couple of days in the fridge before the bananas start to brown or degrade. Baked goods may last a little longer because the ingredients are cooked, which dramatically slows the spoiling process.

How To Store VETCBD Hemp’s CBD

Our CBD is specifically formulated for pets, but its storage and use requirements aren’t much different from formulations designed for human consumption. It needs to be stored the exact same way. Put it in the fridge if you’d like, or stash it in a cool dark cabinet. If you use your CBD to help promote your pet’s overall mobility and to support joint health, you’ll be administering it every 12 hours. There’s no need to store it in the refrigerator because you’ll use up the bottle before you reach the expiration date. If you’re using CBD to help keep your pet calm during fireworks or thunderstorms, you’ll only need it on rainy days. If you don’t get a lot of those where you live, storing your pet’s CBD in the fridge may be a wiser choice. It will stay fresh for when your pet needs it most because it won’t be subject to temperature or light fluctuations on dry days.

Conclusion

Use your discretion when storing CBD. The fridge is a great place to store CBD products, but you certainly don’t need to keep it there if you’d rather keep some extra space free in the door or the drawer. If you don’t think you’ll use it up in a timely manner, err on the side of caution and store it in the fridge to assure the CBD will be there when you need it most, but generally, most people who use CBD regularly for themselves or their pets get through it relatively quickly before it gets close to degrading (being stored outside of the sunlight and heat, of course!). Sources: What You Should Know About Cannabinoids: CBD and THC | Food Insight The Effect of Light Spectrum on the Morphology and Cannabinoid Content of Cannabis sativa L. | Karger The Science Behind Amber Glass: How These Bottles Protect Liquids | Air Sea Containers Storing Probiotics in the Fridge - Must you Refrigerate? | Probiotics Council