Does CBD Oil Expire?

There are many questions people have about CBD oil. One of the most common is, does CBD expire? How long does CBD last? Cbd shelf life is something that can vary depending on the product and ingredients used. So, does CBD oil expire? Yes! It does expire just like anything else you put in your body does. But how do you know when it expires so you don't take an expired dose? We will answer all these questions and more in our blog post today!

How Long Does CBD Oil Last

Many factors determine how long CBD lasts. It has a lot to do with the specific product and how the additional ingredients interact with the CBD. The type of CBD also plays a role in how the product degrades.

CBD Type

There are three main types of CBD oil, and each one degrades differently.

Isolate

Isolate is a crystal powder of 99% pure CBD substance. It has more extended shelf stability than broad and full spectrum and is the most common CBD found.

Broad Spectrum

The broad spectrum CBD is a distillate oil that contains other minor cannabinoids and terpenes with the THC removed. These additional compounds make it less stable than the isolate counterpart. There are more cannabinoids that can degrade faster.

Full Spectrum

Full spectrum is the same concept as the broad spectrum, except it does not remove any THC content. This is an additional compound that can degrade.

Product Ingredients

In addition to the CBD degrading and losing potency, the products mixed with the CBD can also cause the CBD oil to expire. Many products are deemed to have a limited shelf life because of an ingredient besides CBD.

Tinctures

Tinctures only consist of two ingredients, CBD Isolate or distillate, and MCT oil. The MCT oil is a fractionated coconut oil that can go bad, as well as CBD.

Edibles

All of our edible ingredients have a two-year shelf life in addition to CBD. They consist of all your typical sugars and starches found in traditional candies.

Topicals

Topicals range in ingredients per the product. Our sports tapes and patches contain lidocaine and menthol in addition to the CBD. Bath bombs contain essential oils, baking soda, and shea butter. Our lotions contain all the typical ingredients found in a high-end lotion that mixes well with the CBD and does not enhance its degradation. These products have a two-year shelf life as well.

Hemp Flower

Hemp flower does not contain any added ingredients. It just contains CBD and additional cannabinoids that degrade over time. Hemp flower is most ideal after it is dried and slowly degrades over time.

Shelf Life

Shelf life guarantees the effectiveness of CBD oil, but a fresher product will be more enjoyable. The shelf life of CBD LIONs products is two years, but that is only if they are correctly stored.

Storage

All products at CBD LION are stored in a cool low-light environment to ensure CBD oil is fresh regardless of where it is in its shelf life.

When you take possession of the product, it is now your responsibility to safely store it to minimize the degradation of the CBD oil.

When CBD Products Go Bad

There are a few clues to when CBD goes bad to look out for. This incorporates taste, smell, thickness, and color.

Signs

Some signs that the CBD oil has degraded and has reached its shelf life is a color change.

Isolate tinctures of CBD oil start clear and will slowly yellow over time. It's not until they are bright yellow that you need to be concerned the product is no longer effective.

Broad and Full Spectrum CBD oil naturally have a greenish-yellow color and taste that can range in strength depending on the potency. Any significant change to the color, flavor, or consistency is a sign of expired CBD oil.

Topical products are more difficult to tell. It is natural for the lotion and roll-on to change colors slowly. That's why for this product, we recommend going off the expiration date on the label.

Edible products are a bit more tricky as they don't change very much unless they go stale. As long as these are correctly stored, you can rely on the expiration date for shelf life.

Expiration and Lot

Every single CBD LION product features an expiration date and lot #. The expiration date on the bottle and shelf life can vary if the product is not stored effectively. We do not recommend consuming expired CBD oil and should be disposed of safely.

Consuming Expired Products

Consuming products that have expired is a risky thing to do and should be avoided. If you accidentally consume the expired product, the chances of an adverse reaction are low.

Risks

All of the ingredients we produce are products that degrade into a less effective compound. Consuming a recently expired product has little to no risk. If the product age past the expiration date, the chances it can make you sick does go up as we no longer know what compounds the product consists of. There have not been any reports that CBD oil turns into a dangerous product, though.

How To Make Your CBD Products Last Longer

To extend the shelf life of CBD oil, there are a few steps you can take. Most involve how you store the product.

Proper Storage

Cool, dark and minimal moisture is ideal. It can be a medicine cabinet or your refrigerator. If it's edible, make sure to consume it in a timely manner after opening because the product will dehydrate and become stiff.

In lotions, it's important to keep away from heat and use the lid. The bottle they come in is very protective and has the least risk of external forces shortening the life of CBD oil in it.

The tinctures do have built-in protection. Do you notice the bottle of CBD oil is amber? That's to protect from UV light harming the CBD oil and shortening the shelf life.

Avoiding Heat and Sunlight

Sunlight is the most potent form of UV light and can break down the CBD at a very high rate. Heat also adds volatility to the CBD oil and shortens its shelf life.

How To Purchase Quality Product

You want to purchase a bottle of CBD oil that still has a shelf life and is a quality product. So how do you do that from a store or website? Simple make sure the following three things are available in regards to the product.

Test Results

All high-quality CBD oil will have a 3rd party test result readily available to view. If they make it difficult to find it, assume that it's not a quality CBD oil product. For help on reading test results, you can check our previous post on it here.

Expiration Date

It is an absolute must for the expiration date to be on the product. If it does not have one, assume it has expired. There is no other way to know if CBD oil expires without it. It should be printed on the product and easy to find!

Batch Number

A batch number is a record of what raw ingredients went into that particular product. It is a feature on any quality product sold on the market. It allows the business to pinpoint any issues if there is a quality problem. This is not a CBD thing and is found in most consumer products you purchase.

If the CBD oil you purchase does not have a batch number, they are not producing the product to quality standards and should be avoided.

About CBD LION

CBD LION has been producing CBD oil products since 2017. We have invested in software and production equipment to make a high-quality product that can be trusted. These systems allow us to have all the records of the raw ingredients per batch and print batch and expiration on every single product we sell. It's not cheap to do and is often skipped by lower-quality companies trying to make a quick buck.

Our products are manufactured in our ISO 7 certified cleanroom and stored in the best conditions until you place your order. This ensures that you will have the maximum life of CBD oil as long as you properly store it once you receive it.

We have a diverse line of CBD oil products that consist of tinctures, edibles, hemp flower, and topicals. Each product has its own unique advantage you can learn about here.

In-Conclusion

So does CBD oil expire? Yes, like all consumable products, it does have a limited shelf life. At CBD LION, we make sure to store the product in a manner to maximize the shelf life of CBD. You will need to store your CBD oil at room temperature a minimize exposure to air and direct sunlight. You'll want to store CBD oil in a cool, dark, and dry place. Doing these things will extend the life of your CBD oil.

When buying CBD oil, higher quality products tend to have an easily available 3rd party lab test result, expiration date printed on the label, and a batch number. Without an expiration printed, you'll have no way to know if the CBD oil has gone bad and how long the shelf life is. If you follow those three keystone features at CBD LION, you'll end up with a good, safe product.