Storing Supplements Properly (And Why the Bathroom Is the Worst Place)

Most people store supplements in the one room of the house least suited to it, and it quietly costs them.

The bathroom problem

Bathroom cabinets are the default storage spot in a great many homes, and they are close to the worst option available. Every shower fills the room with warm, humid air, and cabinets do not seal that out.

Heat and humidity are exactly what degrades botanical material and encourages capsules to clump or soften. The medicine cabinet is a naming convention, not a recommendation.

What actually damages a supplement

Where to keep them instead

A kitchen cupboard away from the oven, kettle and dishwasher. A bedroom drawer. Any cool, dry, dark place with a stable temperature.

There is one useful exception to the out-of-sight rule: visibility helps habits. A good compromise is keeping the bottle on a shelf or counter that is cool and out of direct sun — visible enough to remember, sheltered enough to survive.

Practical points

• Keep the desiccant sachet in the bottle. It is doing a job.
• Close the cap properly each time. Most humidity gets in through a loosely closed lid.
• Do not decant into clear containers. The original bottle is designed for the contents.
• Check the expiry date when you open a new bottle, particularly if you bought a multi-bottle supply.
• Keep out of reach of children, and do not use a product if the safety seal is damaged or missing.
• Do not store in the car. Interior temperatures in summer are far beyond what any supplement is designed for.

Multi-bottle supplies

If you buy three or six bottles, keep the unopened ones sealed in a cool dark cupboard and open them one at a time. Sealed bottles keep considerably better than opened ones, so there is no advantage to opening them early.

Signs something has gone off

An unusual smell, visible moisture, discoloration, or capsules stuck together. If a product looks or smells wrong, do not take it — contact support instead.