This article will provide an in-depth answer to the question of how long you can expect your ozone oils to last. With so much misinformation surrounding this topic, it's important to provide reliable research that can either discredit or support the claims of ozone oil providers. In this article we'll touch on:
These are the most common oils that you'll find.
This oil is far and away the most popular choice among those who ozonate and sell oils here in the United States. Olive oil is a good choice because it is known as a healthy cooking oil, has cosmetic benefits and has a moderate level of double bonds (more on this later) which make for a medium strength oil once ozonated.
Despite what the seed oil critics say, sunflower seed oil is a great choice for an ozonated oil because of its high double bond content which make for a high strength oil once ozonated. Because this oil has been selected by reputable companies to be their primary carrier, many of the medical studies have been carried out using this oil.
Coconut oil is a favorite in the natural health community and so it has worked its way into the favor of those ozonating oils. When it comes to ozone potential, coconut oil has a low level of double bonds which make for a lower strength oil.
These three make up the vast majority of ozonated oils, however, there are others that round out the list including:
Here at Ozone Apothecary, we believe that most any oil can be ozonated and provide good health benefits, but some oils seem to stand out from the crowd due to a few important criteria.
First, it has been proven safe and effective. This is our #1 criteria because it's important to provide products that have research behind them. Since sunflower seed oil and olive oil have the lion's share of studies in their corner, it's just common sense to use those oils in the majority of cases.
Second, it can absorb and maintain a high level of ozonides. Oils that don't allow for high levels of ozone are fine to use as a solo ingredient, but become less desirable when diluted with other ingredients.
Third, it combines well with other ingredients to create usable products. For example, coconut oil tends to solidify at room temperature making it difficult to control when creating easy-to-use products that absorb quickly.
Fourth, the oil is readily available and inexpensive. This helps to keep costs down and products reasonably priced.
The way in which ozone oils are ozonated varies by company. I'm going to explain the process by categorizing the various type of companies out there and explaining the process that each one uses to create their oils.
The "Lem" Companies
I'm sorry if your name is Lem, but I spoke with an older gentleman once who creates ozone oils and sells them. He lives in the backwoods and he has an ozone generator. Lem sells ozonated oils at the local farm market and actually loses money on the whole. He doesn't understand chemistry, but he's good at improvising. He had a good experience with ozone oils once and thought it would be something that he would like to make and sell. Anyway, it's just oil that's been ozonated, right? Anyone can do that, right?
The Lem companies use an ozone generator running on ambient air instead of medical grade oxygen and they produce ozone oil without any quality control. You might end up with flies in your oil but at least ozone is antibacterial so it's probably not all that important.
The lack of quality controls is concerning but the bigger issue is the use of ambient air. According to Velio Bocci who was one of the leading scientists within the ozone community, air shouldn't be used as it, "...can lead to the generation of toxic compounds."
The "Mom and Pop" Companies
These companies exhibit a level of professionalism that's a step above the Lem companies, simply because they use pure oxygen as the feed gas to produce ozone. Most of them make ozone oils out of their home or garage. This group makes up the "middle class" of ozone oil companies because of the dozens of companies that make ozone oils, most of them are in this category.
They tend to have a very limited knowledge of ozone or oils but have a desire to produce a natural product that can really benefit the consumer.
The Almost Professional Companies
The almost professional companies exhibit a good knowledge of ozone and a basic knowledge of chemistry. They are self-taught and don't have the resources to develop really high end products but on the whole, they do a good job with marketing.
They have bigger ozone generators fed with large oxygen tanks that bubble ozone through a larger flask, but their system is really only larger than the mom and pop companies and lacks the sophistication necessary to ensure properly ozonated oils that maintain their stability.
These companies generally can only offer ozone oils as a single-ingredient product, but they probably have a variety of oils to choose from.
They will likely have some type of quality controls in place but it's unlikely that they will be paying for third-party testing to demonstrate the purity, stability and potency of their products.
The Gordon Ramsey Companies
These companies strive for greatness, show attention to detail and have an incredible knowledge of ozone, chemistry and the ozone oil industry.
When it comes to making ozone oils, these companies have more sophisticated controls and customized ozone equipment designed specifically for creating ozonated oils. They control the temperature, humidity, turbidity, flowrate, ozone concentration and time of their process to ensure a fully ozonated oil that is going to maintain stability over time.
A primary concern is whether they can produce evidence that their oils are fully ozonated and stable. They understand that just bubbling ozone through oil without the proper controls will lead to a poorly ozonated oil which will break down quickly.
These companies also recognize the importance of combining ozone oil with other ingredients that will serve the purposes for which they are used. They work to produce products that taste, smell and feel great without losing the efficacy of a properly ozonated oil.
#1 You could blow something up
If you're a pyromaniac, blowing things up is what you do, but we don't encourage that type of behavior when it comes to ozone oils.
I've personally spoken with a couple of people who created ozone oils for a living (or at least tried) who experienced explosions as a result of a poorly controlled ozonation process. Basically, as the oil is ozonated heat is generated and as the temperature of the oil rises, it creates a vapor. As the reaction of oil and ozone continues to create heat, the oil's flashpoint is reached and a thermal explosion occurs.
#2 It's not cost effective
The cost of the oil, oxygen and equipment will outweigh the savings you get from creating your own oils. Although it might seem fun and innovative, it's not a great investment of time and energy for small scale production.
#3 You won't create pure ozone oils
Have you ever made biscuits that looked amazing but when you bit into one, all you could taste was the baking powder? You can make an ozonated oil that looks great, but lurking in that oil are toxic byproducts.
I've written another article specifically about this issue that you can find here. What seems like an easy, straight forward process can actually turn out quite complicated.
This really shouldn't surprise us because chemistry is quite complicated. When we begin to mix different elements and cause reactions, it's important to understand what we're doing so that we don't end up with a mess on our hands or a rash on our bodies.
#4 You won't create stable ozone oils
Maybe you've proudly taken that cake out of the oven just to see it cave in and look like a crater in the end. Similar to a cake that just doesn't maintain its form, we can create an ozone oil that doesn't maintain its ozonides. The stability of ozone oils is directly linked to a unique process used to ensure that they don't break down.
This study shows that ozone oils created using the traditional means lost about half of their peroxide value over a period of just two months at room temperature.
At Ozone Apothecary, we have products that can be stored at room temperature for 3 years while maintaining 80-90% of their peroxide value.
I used to think that if an oil was bubbled with ozone for a day or two that it was enough. Why get all crazy with all this science and precision? Why worry about doing it in a controlled way with reproducible results? For crying out loud, I CAN SMELL THE OZONE IN THE OIL! If that goes away, I'll concede that the ozone is gone.
The problem with this mentality is that it's wrong. I know....profound.
The smell that we get from ozonated oils is a combination of oxidative products including ozonides, lipoperoxides, aldehydes and ketones. Even when an oil is freshly ozonated, we often hear that it smells rancid. This sour, waxy smell is actually the proper result of oxidation from the ozonation process.
The bottom line with smell is that we aren't able to decipher which of the oxidative components are still in the oil and to what level. It just doesn't work.
But now lets get down to how some products like our Ozone Skincare Cream or Ozone Toothpaste can maintain their ozonide content for three years at room temperature.
It's because a few scientists and engineers took the time to understand the chemical processes behind the ozonation of oils and then patented a process that short-circuited the breakdown of the oxidative products.
At a specific point in the production process, stabilizing agents must be added to the solution that stop the oxidative process from continuing. If this doesn't happen, the ozonated oil will continue to oxidize itself resulting in the breakdown of all the ozonides.
There are a variety of factors that contribute to a companies success. Here are a few of the areas that we believe are critical when identifying a company that delivers high quality ozone-infused products.
We have to start with the knowledge and competence of the individuals who operate the company. As they develop and improve their products, they come up with proprietary formulas and unique processes that are locked away as trade secrets.
These trade secrets give them a competitive advantage and allow them to continue to produce high quality products at a reasonable price. The companies who provide high quality ozonated products have done so through trial and error.
Quality documentation is a good sign of competence. I once hired a plumber who I found out wasn't actually licensed and in fact had failed his exam. The work he did on my home didn't pass inspection and left me with a bit of a mess. Likewise, unless a company can provide some documentation that shows they know what they're talking about, you should probably keep looking.
Products should have an expiration date. This shows that there is a willingness to not just throw out numbers about how long an oil will last but to actually back it up with testing.
How would it work to lather ozone oils into your hair? That's where Ozone Shampoo comes in handy.
If you've ever rubbed ozonated olive oil onto your shoulder and then pulled a shirt on, you'll soon see an oil stain on your shirt. That's where Ozone Skincare Cream comes in handy.
If you've tried to brush your teeth with ozone oils, you'll either gag or endure the disgust. That's where Ozone Toothpaste can make a massive difference.
You need the right tool for the job and ozone oils sometimes just don't cut it unless it has been properly formulated into a workable product.
A professional look and feel to the product is often a sign that a lot of care and thought has gone into its production. When a company can't take the time to make sure their products look good, it is likely that they're cutting corners elsewhere.
We started with the question of how long ozonated oils would last. We've covered a lot of ground to answer that question, but it is useful information that you must understand.
We learned that the answer is not as straight forward as one might think and can vary from a couple of months to years.
If you have questions about this or other issues, we'd love to talk to you. You can email info@ozoneapothecary.com or call us at 517-331-9334.
