How to Store DMSO (And Why It Matters)
DMSO is a stable compound, but it still needs to be stored correctly to maintain its purity and effectiveness. If
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If you’re shopping for DMSO, you’ve probably noticed it comes in different formats: liquid, gel, cream, and roll-on applications. The most common question we get at DMSO Direct is straightforward: “Should I buy the liquid or the gel?”
The answer depends on what you’re using it for and how you prefer to apply it. Let me break down the real differences so you can make an informed decision.
Pure DMSO liquid is exactly what it sounds like: dimethyl sulfoxide with no additives or thickeners. It’s a clear, slightly oily liquid with a consistency similar to water but a bit more viscous. Think of it as the baseline, the reference point. Everything else we make starts with 99.99% pure pharma-grade DMSO.
DMSO gel takes that same pure DMSO and adds a gelling agent (carbomer) to create a thicker, more controllable consistency. The gel stays where you put it instead of running all over the place. We also formulate our gels with different DMSO concentrations (60-70%) depending on what other beneficial ingredients we’re including in the formulation.
Liquid gives you maximum purity and flexibility. Gel gives you convenience and control. Neither is “better.” They’re just different tools for different situations.
What’s it actually like to use liquid DMSO? It flows easily, which means it covers a lot of surface area quickly. This is great if you’re working with larger areas or if you need to dilute it to a specific concentration. The thin consistency allows it to penetrate rapidly.
Liquid DMSO can be messy though. It runs. It drips. If you’re not careful, you’ll end up with it places you didn’t intend. Most people use cotton balls or cotton pads to apply it, which gives you more control but also means you need those supplies on hand.
Pure liquid DMSO also has that characteristic sulfur smell. It’s not overwhelming, but it’s definitely noticeable. Some people don’t mind it at all, others find it off-putting. The smell comes from DMSO breaking down into dimethyl sulfide when exposed to air.
The big advantage of liquid is flexibility. You can dilute it to whatever concentration you want. You can mix it with other things. You’re not locked into a specific formulation. If you’re someone who likes to experiment or if you have specific concentration requirements, liquid is generally the way to go.
Gel is a completely different story. When you scoop out some gel and apply it, it stays exactly where you put it. No running, no dripping, no mess. You can apply it and go about your day without worrying about it spreading to areas you didn’t intend.
The texture is smooth and easy to work with. You don’t need cotton balls or applicators – just use your fingers (or gloves if you prefer). It’s more convenient, especially if you’re using it regularly or on the go.
The gelling agent and other ingredients in our gel formulations also help reduce the sulfur odor. It’s still there if you get close, but it’s much less noticeable than pure liquid DMSO. For people who are sensitive to smells or who use DMSO frequently throughout the day, this makes a real difference.
The trade-off with gel is that you’re working with a fixed formulation. Our standard gel is 70% DMSO, our aloe gel is 70% DMSO, and Polar IX™ is 60% DMSO. You can’t adjust these concentrations – what you get is what you get. But for most people, these concentrations work perfectly fine. The concentrations are set at 60-70% to be the most effective for general use.
We make three liquid DMSO products. All of them start with the same 99.99% pharma-grade dimethyl sulfoxide. The difference is in the packaging and formulation.
This is our standard workhorse liquid DMSO. Four ounces of pure, undiluted 99.99% pharma-grade DMSO in an amber glass bottle. We use amber glass because light degrades DMSO over time, and we use a phenolic cap with a polycone liner to ensure a tight seal. Everything is BPA-free and compatible with DMSO.
This is what most people buy when they want pure liquid DMSO. It’s the right size for regular use without being so large that it sits around forever. At $24.99, it’s also the most economical way to get pure DMSO if you’re using it frequently.
One thing to know about pure DMSO: it freezes at 65°F. If your bottle arrives frozen or freezes in storage, don’t panic. Just place it in warm water for a few minutes and it’ll return to liquid form. This is completely normal and doesn’t affect the quality at all.
Same purity, different packaging. The 2 oz dropper bottle is designed for precision. The glass dropper with silicone bulb lets you dispense exactly the number of drops you need, which is useful if you’re mixing DMSO with other things or if you need very small, controlled amounts.
[Note: Many droppers are made of rubber, which is not compatible with DMSO as the rubber can break down. That’s why we use glass droppers with silicone bulbs. Because we have not been able to source these materials with ‘etched on markings’ – our droppers don’t have measurements. DMSO is a paint stripper! Avoid any droppers with painted markings.]
The smaller size also makes it more portable. If you travel or if you just want to keep a bottle in your bag or desk drawer, the 2 oz dropper fits easily. It’s the same amber glass for light protection, with 100% DMSO compatible and BPA-free materials. Just a more convenient format for certain situations.
Our 3070 blend is 30% pharma-grade DMSO (99.99% pure) blended with 70% organic, cold-pressed castor oil. We specifically source hexane-free castor oil because purity is important for every ingredient we use.
Why would you want DMSO mixed with castor oil? Some people already use both and find that combining them works well for their purposes. Instead of buying two bottles and mixing them yourself, we’ve done it for you at a ratio we’ve found works consistently well. The castor oil also gives the blend a different consistency and makes it less aggressive than pure DMSO.
We make three different gel formulations, and each one exists for a specific reason. They all use the same 99.99% pharma-grade DMSO, but the concentrations and additional ingredients are different.
This is our straightforward gel. Seventy percent DMSO, thirty percent distilled water, gelled with carbomer. That’s it. No fragrance, no extras, just a clean gel that does what it’s supposed to do.
The gel is crystal clear and spreads easily. It has a smooth texture that isn’t too thick or too thin – it’s right in the middle. We formulated it this way because we wanted something that would work for most people most of the time without any unnecessary complexity.
This gel comes in a 4 oz BPA-free polypropylene jar. We use polypropylene because it’s one of the few plastics that’s safe for DMSO storage. A lot of plastics will degrade or leach chemicals when they come into contact with DMSO, but polypropylene is chemically inert with DMSO. Safety first.
If you want a basic gel without any additional ingredients, this is the one. It’s our most popular gel because it’s straightforward and it works.
Our DMSO Gel with Aloe Vera is also 70% DMSO, but instead of using plain distilled water, we use inner aloe vera leaf juice. And here’s where we do something different from most companies that make aloe products.
We don’t use store-bought aloe vera juice. Commercial aloe juice is loaded with preservatives – they have to be, or they’d spoil. Those preservatives compromise purity, and we’re not interested in that. Instead, we start with ultra-pure freeze-dried inner aloe vera leaf powder. We reconstitute it fresh for each batch we make. Our aloe vera juice is made with distilled water. The high concentration of DMSO acts as our ‘preservative’ due to its antimicrobial properties.
Why go through all this trouble? Because freeze-dried inner leaf powder locks in all the beneficial compounds of aloe at peak potency without any preservatives. When we reconstitute it, we’re getting pure aloe vera at full strength. You get all the benefits without any of the junk.
It comes in the same 4 oz BPA-free polypropylene jar as our standard gel.
If you like the idea of aloe vera’s properties combined with DMSO and you want a product made without preservatives, this is your gel.
Polar IX™ (we call it “Polar Nine”) is an advanced gel formulation for ultra-low odor.
The DMSO concentration in Polar IX™ is 60%. Lower than our other gels, yes, but there’s a good reason for that. We’ve included urea in this formulation, and urea does something really interesting with DMSO.
DMSO’s characteristic sulfur smell comes from it breaking down into dimethyl sulfide when exposed to air and bacteria. Urea stabilizes the DMSO molecules and dramatically reduces this breakdown. The result is a gel that has very little odor. If the sulfur smell bothers you or if you use DMSO frequently throughout the day, Polar IX™ solves that problem.
But that’s not all. Polar IX™ also contains more aloe than any of our other products. We use the same freeze-dried inner leaf powder, reconstituted fresh for each batch, but in a higher concentration. This gel has the most pure, preservative-free aloe of anything we make.
We package Polar IX™ in a 4 oz amber glass jar with a polypropylene cap. The amber glass protects the formulation from light degradation, and the polypropylene cap is both BPA-free and DMSO-compatible.
The ingredients are: dimethyl sulfoxide (99.99% pure pharma-grade), aloe barbadensis leaf juice (from inner leaf powder), urea, and carbomer.
We make it in small batches by hand to ensure consistency.
There’s no universally “better” choice between liquid and gel. They’re different tools for different jobs. Liquid gives you purity and flexibility. Gel gives you convenience and control. Both work, both are made with the same high-quality DMSO, and both have their place.
That’s why most people end up with both. They’ll keep a bottle of pure liquid DMSO for certain situations and a gel for everyday use. There’s no rule that says you have to pick one and stick with it forever.
If you’re buying your first DMSO product and you’re not sure where to start, this is what I’d do:
Want maximum purity with no additives and you’re comfortable with the messier application? Go with the DMSO Liquid 4 oz. It’s pure, it’s flexible, and it’s the most economical option. You can always dilute it or mix it with other things later.
Want something convenient that you can use daily without any hassle? Start with DMSO Gel 70/30. It’s straightforward, it works well, and it’s priced reasonably. Most people find this concentration works perfectly fine for regular use.
If odor is a concern or you want an advanced formula in a glass jar, go with Polar IX™.
The 2 oz dropper is great if you need precise dosing or portability. The aloe gel is excellent if you like the idea of combining DMSO with pure aloe. And the 3070 blend is perfect if you’re already using both DMSO and castor oil together.
You might be wondering where cream fits into all of this. Our DMSO cream is different from both liquid and gel. We use our gel as the base and add arrowroot powder to create a luxurious cream texture. It’s oil-free except for the rose geranium essential oil we use to lightly scent it.
If you’re interested in cream, we make a rose-scented DMSO cream that a lot of our customers love. But that’s a topic for another post.
Polar Glide™ DMSO Roll-On brings the best of liquid and gel into a convenient applicator. It’s a ‘liquid gel’ with 60% DMSO, hyaluronic acid, urea, and aloe vera. There’s really nothing that compares. If you want the #1 DMSO product on the market – try Polar Glide™ DMSO Roll-On today – it’s our favorite and we know it will be yours too.
Every DMSO product we make starts with 99.99% pharma-grade dimethyl sulfoxide. We never compromise on quality. We manufacture our products in small batches. This gives us complete control over quality and consistency. When you buy from us, you’re not getting product that’s been sitting in a warehouse for months or that’s been through multiple distributors. You’re getting fresh product, shipped direct from us to you.
Our packaging is carefully selected. Amber glass protects from light. Polypropylene is DMSO-compatible and won’t leach chemicals. Everything is BPA-free and DMSO compatible. These details matter.
We’re a family-owned small business in the USA. When you email us, you’re talking to us – not a customer service department in another country. We take this seriously because we use these products ourselves and we give them to our own family.
DMSO Direct products are sold for use as a solvent. They are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any medical condition.
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