Where and How
If you have propolis in liquid form, we suggest that you put it away in an airtight container. After you have done that, make sure you put it somewhere safe and away from any excessive heat.
That means far from your fridge or kitchen. It is preferred that your propolis be kept in a dark place.
Don’t mix them
Your old propolis solution should not be mixed with the new one. If you follow this advise your propolis solution will lasts longer.
Ever after storing it for a year, your propolis should still be as good as new.
How Long Will It Lasts?
Like any other bee products, propolis is not easily ruined. But because most propolis products contain other ingredients, the life of your product will differ from one brand to another.
One propolis cream from brand A may lasts longer than brand B, if brand B has more easily ruined ingredients.
In general, propolis is fairly stable, but proper storage is important. Propolis and its extracts should be stored in airtight containers in the dark, preferably at less than 10C-12C and away from excessive and direct heat. For similar reasons, very old propolis from the hive should not be mixed with fresher propolis. Over 12 months of proper storage, propolis will lose very little or none of its antibacterial activities. Alcohol extracts may be stored even longer.
Lyophilization (freeze drying) of extracts has been described as a method, which preserves the antibacterial characteristics, but nothing has been written about effects of long-term storage of such materials. This method may gain importance for larger scale use and certain formulations, but it is possible that some of the synergistic characteristics of propolis may be lost during lyophilisation.
The shelf life of propolis containing products depends very much on their composition and has to be determined for each case. The more the other components of a product are susceptible to decomposition, the shorter will be the shelf life of that product. This is the reason for compromises that are necessary in the selection of artificial and/or natural and traditional ingredients, preservatives and larger production for extended markets. However, propolis and its extracts function as a mild preservative due to their antioxidant and antimicrobial activities and thus may actually prolong the shelf live of some products.
WHAT IS THE SHELF LIFE FOR “BEE PROPOLIS 500 MG CAPSULES, ALSO DOES THE LIQUID HAVE A LONGER SHELF LIFE, AND IS IT 500 MG ??? THANK YOU IN ADVANCE. DON