Comment · Tue, October 5, 2021 · ND Owner
Polygala clumped up, is it still good?
Original post in this thread
SnooGuavas2619 · 8 points
My polygala powder has become one big clump that is rock solid. I've had it since August 2020, and I live in a hot and humid climate. Should it still be good?
What they were answering
Direct reply to the original post — see the thread post above.
u/MisterYouAreSoDumb · ND Owner
It's still good. It is the humidity. That's the problem with concentrated extracts that don't use any excipients. They like to clump when exposed to moisture. Many places put silicon dioxide in the powders to prevent it, but most people prefer having pure powders with no additives in them. Putting the jars in a glass container with a desiccant to store them will prevent it. This is why glass jars can be better sometimes. They just weigh a lot more and break a lot. The crux of the issue is in polymer science. PET bottles are really good for preventing oxygen permeability, but they allow moisture through. HDPE bottles protect from moisture, but they let oxygen through. It's a tradeoff between the two plastic types. We have started to use white HDPE bottles/jars for things that are susceptible to clumping from moisture, but glass will always be the best. We are in the process of developing new bottles/jars using technology from the beer industry, though. Hopefully we will be able to move to a more advanced multi-layer plastic that prevents both oxygen and moisture from entering.