How to know when your face oil has gone bad

How to know when your face oil has gone bad

Not many of us like throwing out skincare products until they have been completely used. When it comes to facial oils, this means that a lot of consumers are using oxidised oils that are not quite at their best.

We often get asked about how to know when our best-selling facial oil, rosehip, has gone rancid. So how long does rosehip oil last? And what happens if you use expired rosehip oil? 

Whether you use our rosehip oil or another type of facial oil, here’s our advice on how to tell when your facial oil has gone bad…

Why you need to look after your facial oil

Facial oils carry higher price tags than most moisturisers, as they contain higher levels of actives. They therefore tend to deliver quicker results.

However, organic facial oils can be very fragile, oxidising after minimal contact with air and sunlight. As a result, many of us may be using facial oils that are no longer active, and so have far less skin benefits than we think.

The best way to ensure your rosehip oil is at its best is to keep an eye on the following characteristics:

  • Aroma

Rancid oils are best spotted by their aroma, which is usually musty and sour on the nose – a bit like old butter! Rosehip oil should smell quite earthy, so if it starts smelling a bit sour then that may be a sign that it has expired.

Drops of Pai Skincare Rosehip BioRegenerate Oil
  • Colour

Oils can lose their depth of colour as they oxidise. A good rosehip oil, for example, should be a vibrant orange – which indicates the presence of lots of skin-protecting carotenoids! A sign of an expired rosehip oil is therefore a paler colour.

Pai Skincare Rosehip BioRegenerate Facial Oil being applied to skin
  • Fat profiles

Oils rich in polyunsaturated fats are incredibly popular facials oils, as they feel light and velvety on the skin.

Polyunsaturated fats are, however, much more prone to oxidisation. So be sure to keep a close eye on oils such as Borage, Hemp and Safflower, as these facial oils will expire faster.

How to keep your facial oil at its best

Make your beauty investment worthwhile by maximising the life of your facial oil.

Keep it in a cool place, out of direct sunlight (ideally in its original box), and avoid leaving unsealed for prolonged periods of time.

At Pai, we give you a helping hand by adding 100% natural Vitamin E (from sunflower) to our bestselling Rosehip BioRegenerate Oil. This antioxidant prolongs the life of the rosehip oil, as well as protecting the skin from damaging environmental forces like UV rays and pollution.

We also endeavour to use CO2 extracts over cold pressed extracts when it comes to particularly fragile oils such as Rosehip. As no oxygen is present during the extraction process, CO2 extracts remain at their best for 18 months, compared to the 3-6 months lifespan of Cold Pressed extracts.

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