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I have some lotion ingredients, such as oils (jojoba, apricot kernal ,etc), emulsifying wax and stearic acid that are a year old. If I use them now to make lotion, are they still ok? How long will the lotion last once made with these ingredients and a preservative? Also, I have some lotions that I made about a year ago. Are they still good? For how much longer? thanks so much. Robin

You would have to check with the supplier of your oils and other supplies or if they have expiration dates on them.
Different oils expire at different times and need to be stored differently to get longer shelf lives.

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Soapbuddy made a list of some common oils and their shelf lives here: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3800 (Scroll down to the second post in the thread to find the list.)

I don't know about the shelf life of emulsifying wax or stearic acid, but hopefully the list of oils will help. I've been told too to sniff the oils - if they're rancid, your nose will know.

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Stearic acid and ewax are good for years, so no worries there. Your oils, as already stated, vary depending on the oil and the method stored. The problem is, even if they smell good at the moment, you would not want to use one that is close to expiration in a product that will be sitting unused for a while, or sold just prior to its turning bad. You can add wheat germ oil and/or vitamin E to help extend the life if you have some time, but it has a better chance of working when you do this before oxidation begins, rather than after it has started.
As for the shelf lives of your oils, it is better to check with your particular vendor, as there can be several months difference, vendor to vendor.

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Tammy

Thanks for the replies everyone. Tammy, if the oils are about to expire but I make lotion with them and add a preservative, then the lotion will be ok...am I right about that?

A preservative will not extend the shelf life of any oil that's about to expire. It's not meant to do that. Antioxidants like Vit E. or ROE (Rosemary Oleoresin extract) are helpful to extend the shelf life of oils, but they need to be added as soon as you receive your oil(s).

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Irena
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Tammy

ok then. well I'm glad I asked that, because I definitely had the wrong idea. Thanks so much. One more thing..... does the shelf life begin when the oil or butter is opened or as soon as I get it(before its opened)? Also, how long is rose water good for once opened?

I would mark your container as soon as you get it. As far as the actual date, it's hard to say, since you don't know how long it sat on the vendor's shelf.

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Irena
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Robin I am not sure how long any hydrosol lasts because I dont use them and have not studied them, I am sorry. You should contact the vendor and ask them. As for the oils, I mark mine for when I get them, but know that they may go bad before the date because they may be old or they may have been stored improperly to begin with. While you never really know, many large vendors store in oils barrels and just bottle as they get orders or get to a shelf level that they set. Plus the larger vendors will move more stock, so presumably you will get fresher. That is one good reason to buy from a reputable vendor, but even so, you really dont know, and then you really dont know what happened to it before your vendor ot it. So the date you put on it is a rough estimate. I have had oils last a lot longer than their supposed shelf life and I've had some go a tad shorter.

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Remember, it's not just that we weather the storm, but how we dance in the rain.

Tammy