In the dog days of summer, when many parts of the country suffer from extreme heat waves, we work hard to keep the vitamins in our warehouse cool.

When exposed to prolonged heat, softgels can melt, stick together and leak. Delicate ingredients like omega-3 fish oils can also deteriorate, oxidize and become rancid, which negates the benefits of taking them.

Here's how to avoid damaging your delicate supplements like fish oil and how to tell when your vitamins have gone bad.

Don't let your packages sit in direct sun for hours. Ship your goods to an alternative location such as your office or ask your postman to leave the package in a shady area.

Give your bottles a shake. If you hear rattling, everything is okay. If you hear a thunk, it means the softgels have clumped together. If you hear sloshing, which is very rare, it means some pills have melted and leaked.

Open the bottle! If there's a very strong smell, your pills may have ruptured and leaked, especially if it's a bottle of fish oil. It's best to toss the bottle and buy a new one.

Remember that even fresh fish oil may have a faint fishy smell, but it should not be strong or overwhelming.

All our items pass a temperature stability test and are designed to maintain their freshness at room temperature for 2 to 3 years. It's okay to stick your bottles in the fridge for an hour to cool them down, but we do not test for long-term cold storage. There could be factors such as humidity in the fridge that may impact the shelf life of your vitamins. For best results, store your vitamins in a cool and dry place.

Why don't we ship with cooling packs? They drive up costs and provide limited protection for a few hours rather than the days that a package may take to arrive at its destination.

Our products are hardy enough to handle all but the strongest of heat waves, so don't worry too much if your package has sat out for a few hours. We'll send you a replacement if your items arrive less than perfect — just get in touch!