What is the shelf life of perfume?
I’ve gotten several questions relating to how long and where one should store perfumes. As part of this week’s contest, I asked for readers to submit their questions about perfume and fragrance. Already, I’ve gotten some great ones, so it’s time to reach into the question bag and shed some light on the subject of perfume shelf life and storage.
Perfumes are a lovely thing to wear and enjoy, and many of us also enjoy collecting them. Typical department store perfumes have a crimped metal seal at the top of the bottle, meaning that the bottle is quite well protected from air. The scent can last 10 years or more, but you should be sure to store perfumes you don’t intend to use up soon (in the next 6-12 months) in a cool, dry place. A linen closet is a good idea for long term storage. DON’T store them in the windowsill, even though it may look pretty, the light and heat will degrade those babies too fast. Humid bathrooms are also a bad idea for storage. If you have a collection of EMPTY bottles those can go in the window if you think the labels won’t fade.
I like to keep 2-3 of the perfumes I intend to wear during the current season on my dresser (away from the window), and the rest in a box under my bed. I try so many perfumes, I prefer to obtain samples whenever possible. I love using up perfume samples!
If you use perfumes that are not the typical department store concoction, such as those made from essential oils, even more care should be taken. I prefer glass stoppers to cork or rubber, because it will eventually degrade and I feel the seal can be just as tight with a well-fitted, heavy glass stopper. I would even go so far as to keep essential oil perfumes in the refrigerator to slow oxidization (but this depends on the carrier - oil or wax based scents can go bad faster than alcohol based ones).
Finally, it is true that high concentrations of scent like perfume absolute and extrait de parfum will last a long time in storage. They may actually get better over time, like a fine wine. Keep sniffing all your perfumes every month or so, and if something changes for the worse, toss it. A darkening in color, especially with vanilla-based perfumes, is natural and not problematic in itself.
Even though some perfumes can last 10 years, I like to work hard to keep my stash to a minimum, and I make a real effort to use up perfumes that are more than two years old. If you own a perfume (even if it was a gift) and it just doesn’t work for you, give it to a friend, a women’s shelter or charity, or even sell it. Better than having it take up space and go unused in your collection!
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POSTED IN: collecting, cologne, perfume
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