How to Properly Store Perfume

When purchasing expensive fragrances, everyone wants their aromatic investment to last as long as possible. Properly storing perfume involves a set of rules that help extend their lifespan. Let's acquaint you with these recommendations.

Optimal Perfume Storage Conditions at Home: General Guidelines

So, there are three main requirements for storing perfume, or rather, there are three enemies that can negatively impact the quality of aromatic products. These are light, temperature, and oxygen. Accordingly, the longevity and initial bouquet of perfumes can be preserved by ensuring specific conditions—dark, cool places, and a closed state. Let's delve a bit more into these factors:

• Sunlight is a significant enemy of perfumery. Proper perfume storage involves keeping them away from direct sunlight. Similar to expensive alcohol, ultraviolet light can alter the delicate composition of the liquid. Therefore, it's best to store perfumes in a closed cabinet, drawer, or even in the refrigerator.

Incorrect storage example: Often, individuals store perfumes on a vanity table alongside cosmetics. While convenient for applying the aromatic liquid as the finishing touch to an ensemble, such storage can lead to changes in the fragrance. Another unsuitable storage location is the glove compartment of a car. This space, more than any other, is frequently subjected to temperature fluctuations.

Interesting fact: Some fragrance manufacturers offer their products in opaque bottles. However, this is more of an attempt to attract buyers with unique packaging. Such glass still cannot fully restrict the penetration and negative impact of light. Avoid risking storing your favorite fragrance in a blue or grey bottle without additional protection; the aromatic bouquet can undergo significant changes in a very short time.

• Constant and moderate temperature is a standard condition for preserving the properties of perfumery. If you want your favorite fragrances to maintain their original scent, choose a storage location that is not susceptible to abrupt temperature changes. With each cycle of heating and cooling, perfume components undergo new chemical reactions, altering their properties. As a result, the fragrance may become different, not always appealing, and may not unfold gradually as it did initially.

Incorrect storage example: Some people use bathroom shelves for storing colognes and perfumes, preferring to apply fragrance to the skin immediately after a shower. Avoid making this mistake! Temperature fluctuations in the bathroom can be detrimental to your favorite fragrance, disrupting the molecular integrity of the perfume. Similarly, avoid storing perfumes on a windowsill above a radiator, in a closet, or on a shelf behind which heating pipes run, for the same reason.

• Oxidation is harmful to the fragrance. Notably, perfume bottles come equipped with a tight-fitting cap. It is essential to prevent the aromatic liquid from interacting with oxygen since over time, such interaction leads to the spoilage of the scent.

Incorrect storage example: Many people, in a hurry, forget to close the bottle of their favorite fragrance, leaving it without a cap for an entire day. Do not expect that this will prolong the perfume's scent. Besides the fact that open bottles allow the fragrance to evaporate, you also expose the precious liquid to oxygen.

Useful advice: If you often misplace the cap of the bottle, follow a simple recommendation. Always keep it in your hand when using aromatic products, and immediately after applying the fragrance to the skin, close the perfume bottle.

And a few more general recommendations that will help extend the shelf life of perfumes:

• Avoid buying perfumes in bulk. Firstly, large transparent containers from which perfumes are poured into small bottles are susceptible to light exposure, which we've already discussed is unsafe for the composition. Secondly, during the pouring process, the aromatic liquid comes into contact with oxygen, increasing the risk of oxidation. Thirdly, bottles for bulk perfumes may be stored without adhering to basic sanitary rules. Even a small amount of dust inside can lead to the rapid spoilage of the perfume. You wouldn't want that, would you?
• Do not store perfumes on the top shelves of racks or in attics. Firstly, warm air rises, so aromatic products will be more exposed to high temperatures when stored at higher levels. Secondly, retrieving a bottle from the top shelf, where it sits, inevitably involves shaking it. Unnecessary vibrations are not desirable for complex aromatic compositions, believe me. Thirdly, there's a high risk of the glass bottle slipping from your hands and breaking.
• If you want to take a fragrance with you on a trip, you can carefully transfer it to a special travel container. These boxes are made of plastic, ensuring the reliable protection of the glass container with aromatic liquid from any mechanical impact. Moreover, the container also shields the perfume from sunlight.
• Although perfumes do not have a strict expiration date like food products if the scent or appearance of the liquid has changed, it means you did not follow the recommendations listed above. Unfortunately, your expensive perfume has spoiled and is not recommended for use.
• Never dilute perfume with water in an attempt to increase the volume of liquid in the bottle. Water remains the best organic solvent today. Even a small amount of water will alter the compound's formula. Therefore, if water gets into the aromatic product, the only option is to discard the perfume.



How to Properly Store Opened Perfumes

Keep the perfume in its packaging until the moment of the first spray. A subtle countdown timer for the fragrance's lifespan activates after opening and after the first spray on the body or any surface. And if the bottle is already open, remember the three main recommendations — perfumes should be stored in darkness, in a cool place, and in a closed state. Remember that oxidation, occurring when the chemical composition interacts with oxygen, happens immediately as soon as the first spray is released from the perfume bottle. After each subsequent spray, tightly close the perfume, put the bottle back in its original box or a special container, and then store it in a cool, dark place.

Is it necessary to store perfumes in the box?

The box is an excellent option for storing a perfume bottle. It protects the glass container from light, ensuring the maintenance of a specific microclimate inside. Therefore, it's best to store perfumes at home in a closet or on a shelf in their original box or a special container. Moreover, it disciplines you. Extracting the bottle from the box each time before use and the reverse procedure encourages a careful attitude towards the fragrances. The bouquet was crafted by talented perfumers. Trust that the product of their labor deserves special care.

Should perfume be stored in the refrigerator?

Some recommendations suggest that it is best to store perfume in the refrigerator. Let's delve into this matter. Indeed, both perfumes with a concentrated complex formula and less concentrated toilet water are sensitive to high temperatures. Constant temperature and the darkness of the refrigerator seem to be optimal conditions for aromatic products. However, storing perfume in the refrigerator is only possible if it is kept in perfect cleanliness with a controlled level of humidity. If mold and condensation are constant residents on the refrigerator walls, such storage significantly reduces the shelf life of the perfume. Additionally, if you occasionally take out perfume from the chamber and then put it back, the fragrance will be subject to temperature fluctuations, which is not ideal for its composition.

Important note: Too low a temperature can adversely affect the scent and composition of the perfume. Avoid freezing them.

The conclusion is that if you store cosmetics and perfume in a small mini-fridge, your fragrance will long express gratitude to you. On the contrary, if the refrigerator is fully used for storing food products, it may not be the best company for a bottle of expensive perfume.

Is there an expiration date for perfumes?

Many perfume manufacturers claim that their perfumes have no expiration date. It is possible that the fragrance can indeed last a long time under ideal conditions, in a sealed bottle. However, in practice, perfumes typically maintain their properties unchanged for about 30 months on average. How long will unpackaged perfumes last? About a year. And only when following the recommendations mentioned above.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How long can perfumes be stored?

After unpacking and following the recommendations, for about a year. In a closed package, three years. But these are average durations. If after 12 months of use, there is still some liquid left in the bottle and the aromatic composition has not changed, feel free to continue using it. However, if there are signs of spoilage, it is better to refrain.

Where to store perfumes in the heat?

In a special miniature refrigerator. In it, you can also store cosmetics and medicines. Don't think that buying such equipment will be an unnecessary expense. On the contrary, expensive perfumes, creams, and masks will not lose their properties due to high atmospheric temperatures. Therefore, the money spent on their purchase will not be wasted.

Can perfumes go bad?

Improper storage can change the properties of aromatic products. Signs that perfumes have gone bad include darkening and cloudiness. If the scent has changed and irritation occurs after applying the product to the skin, it is advisable not to use such a composition.

Can perfumes be stored in a plastic bottle?

Plastic packaging is lighter than a glass bottle and cannot be broken. These are advantages for short-term storage of perfume in plastic. However, plastic bottles are not the best option for long-term storage of perfumery products. The polymer can undergo a chemical reaction with the perfumes, causing the composition of the perfume itself to change.