THE ENEMIES OF PERFUME. Can your perfumes go bad?
CAN YOUR PERFUME GO BAD?
“If you store your perfumes correctly and avoid direct sunlight, fragrance can be like wine…it improves over time,” explains Ahlgren.
It is an unwritten fragrance lore that perfumes can be stored for around 3 to 5 years. But we suggest that you just Forget the dates! Store your perfume properly and let your nose decide. If you take good care of your bottles, your perfumes will last forever.
Good quality perfumes made with essential oils can last for 6 years when kept in their packs and a cool, dark place. Perfume bottles with stoppers or removable bottle top won’t last as long as a spray top because they easily become contaminated by coming in contact with our skin, bacteria from our skin and oxygen(air).
Pure Perfume extraits will last the longest due to the absence of fillers, alcohol and additives.
Higher grade niche perfume rarely go bad. Perfumes going bad depends on the fragrance itself. Certain fragrances seem to be more fragile than others, hence will sour more easily.
A perfume made from natural flower or fruit extracts usually stand all tests of time. The more exotic / natural scents can still smell vibrant and fresh, if they spend years properly stored. An herb based perfume like lavender can last indefinitely.Kept in a cool, dark place, away from humidity (not stored in a bathroom) and at a consistent temperature (70 degrees) could enable your natural oil Cologne, Eau de Toilette, Eau de Parfum or Perfume oil extrait last up to 30 years or more.
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOUR PERFUME IS BAD?
a. THE COLOUR CAN TELL: Watch out for colour change. maybe it looks like old beer, whereas before it was a glass of Champagne. The colour can turn darker and look much thicker or Sometimes the liquid takes on a milky appearance. This can be difficult to detect if you haven’t looked at the bottle for a while.
b. BY SMELLING IT: The biggest sign, however, is obviously the scent: It can smell faded, a little sour, or musty (Céline Barel, perfumer at International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF), sums it up nicely: “Olfactively speaking, if you smell it, you’ll know. It will smell old.”)
If you notice a vinegar /acidic smell then the contents have changed. If it doesn’t smell like it once did, it’s bad too. Eau De Toilette sprays tend to smell more like alcohol as they age. Let’s face it, you don’t want to walk around smelling like you’ve been drinking, especially first thing in the morning! On the other hand, Eau De Parfum sprays tend to take on an almost spicy, curry-like smell.
WHY DOES PERFUME TURN BAD?
1. Heat / Sunlight / Air:
Remember the three enemies of “Good Perfume”: Sunlight, Heat and Air, which is difficult to control in Lagos,Nigeria, Africa.
When perfume comes in contact with heat, the fragrance gets oxidized, which may result in loss of fragrance. You also need to take care of your perfumes while transporting them from one place to another. The heat inside a vehicle builds up quite fast. This leads to expansion and contraction of liquids due to the changes in temperature.
Avoid Heat: Heat corrupts perfume so the steamy bathroom and a hot car in this our temperate region is not ideal. Some like to put their perfume in the refrigerator, but due to evaporation, your perfume can scent the food inside. A dresser drawer is best.
Banish sunlight: Tans don’t look good on perfumes!
Don’t display your new, gorgeous bottle on your dresser top. Doing so can expose your perfume to sunlight. Sunlight will change the fragrance and darken the color. Store in a dark place, a drawer or your closet.
Did you know that perfumes in dark or opaque bottles tend to have a longer shelf life? Take extra care with clear perfume bottles: since the contents will be more susceptible to the light than perfume in opaque bottles, keep them in the box/pack to further protect your perfume, this will provide an extra layer of protection against harmful UV rays, as well as oxygen and heat.
Minimize Oxygen exposure: just as oxygen turns the flesh of a sliced apple brown, so does it destroy the scent and longevity of your perfume. Make sure the bottle cap is tight. Purchase spray bottles over roll on, refill or splash bottles because they lessen the perfume’s exposure to air.
2. The science: The natural oil in perfume comes from a long chain of substituted allyl aromatics. They are susceptible to decomposition through bacterial growth at a very low rate. These natural oils are mixed with fillers and alcohol. The alcohol is a biocide. No known bioform grows in alcohol. Also, since the vast majority of fragrances have saturated hydrocarbon chains, they are not susceptible to oxidation, which CAUSES RANCIDITY IN NATURAL OILS.
CONCLUSION
If you worry about how long a perfume lasts, then it may mean that you don’t wear it that often. Finish it before it goes bad. Don’t give your fragrances time to sit and spoil. Don’t collect them for too long. Like your fashions, hairstyle and makeup, your fragrances are special . Here at the Get-It-Out Online Perfume Shop we specialize in Building Your Fragrance Wardrobe. Fragrances are made to be enjoyed so enjoy them while they are fresh.
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