How to Keep Vitamins Fresh

Vitamins, like most foods and drugs, have an expiration date. After a certain period of time, they lose their potency and effectiveness. Because of cost, people often buy vitamins in bulk. If you do buy large quantities of vitamins, especially if they are natural vitamins, be sure to follow storage instructions to keep them fresh, preserving their potency.

Things You'll Need

• Small sealed container
• Rice
• Label maker

Show More

Instructions

How to Store Vitamins

• 1

  Remove all vitamins from your bathroom medicine cabinet and kitchen cupboards. These areas are two of the most common places to store vitamins, but they are among the worst places for keeping vitamins fresh. There are constant changes in humidity and temperature in these areas, and this fluctuation will shorten the longevity of vitamins.

• 2

  Place your vitamins in a sealed container if you are going to store them in the refrigerator. Although the cooler temperature is good, vitamins do not benefit from constant changes in temperature and humidity, which can result from opening and closing the refrigerator door. Placing vitamins in a container reduces this fluctuation. Also, add a small layer to rice on the bottom of the container to absorb the moisture.

• 3

  Find a cool, dark closet. The best place for vitamins is in a sealed container in a cool place, like the linen closet, where there is very little light and moisture. You want as little fluctuation as possible.

• 4

  Always adhere to expiration dates. A danger of buying vitamins is letting them expire before you have consumed them. One way to remember the expiration date is to label each bottle clearly.