Owning a nice bottle of eau de toilette can mean different things to people – for some, it’s the ultimate signature scent and for others, it could be a reminder of childhood, a dear one or a cherished vacation. When a unique concoction of fragrant notes finds synchronicity with the olfactory senses, it’s a blissful feeling unlike any other. Though a bottle of perfume has a shelf life of 3–5 years, it’s susceptible to various external factors. That’s why it’s important to know how to store and preserve your precious perfumes so that you can make them last long.
Here are some tips on how to properly store and preserve your collection of eau de toilettes and eau de parfums.
- Keep The Cap On
Opening that brand-new bottle of perfume at home is exciting but once you’re done admiring it, remember to put the cap on properly and store it upright in a drawer or cupboard. This way, no external factors will come in contact with it. Once you’ve opened the cap, the degradation process starts almost immediately. Therefore, when you’re done spritzing a perfume, make sure to always put the cap back on.
- Don’t Throw The Box
The beautiful box in which the perfume comes is more than meets the eye. Perfume boxes are designed to store fragrances to increase their longevity as they keep the bottle away from unfavourable external factors. Instead of throwing the box, use it as the perfect container for your perfume. Again, you may be tempted to place the box where it can be adored but the best place to store your perfume box is in a covered spot at room temperature – like a closet or a drawer.
- Darkness Is A Dear Friend
Be it lightweight body mists or high-end eau de toilette perfumes, they all thrive when stored in a dark place, away from harsh lighting. When sunlight hits perfume, the harsh UV and UVB rays can ruin the composition and make the perfume go rancid. It can even alter the colour of the liquid. This could cause the perfume to expire faster than its shelf life and, if used, may also cause skin irritation.
- The Dryer The Better
We get the appeal and even the convenience of keeping perfumes on your bathroom counter. As aesthetically pleasing as it may be, a bathroom is not an appropriate place to keep your fragrance bottles. When perfume comes in contact with shower steam, it could destroy the molecular structure of the fragrance and dilute the perfume’s appealing scent. Perfumes also have a low tolerance to constant changes in temperature and damp atmosphere. A dry, cool place like a closed drawer is where your perfumes are better off.
- Do Not Shake Before Use
Most of us have a reflex of shaking spray bottles before we mist them. While for some products this move is recommended or inconsequential, your perfumes should not be shaken before use. Fragrance molecules have delicate chemical bonds, so shaking a perfume bottle can destroy the formula. Moreover, oxygen also plays its part through the bubbles that form when a bottle is shaken.
- Make Travel Size Your BFF
Have a special trip planned or are you gearing up for an important occasion? Some perfumes for men can have delicate packaging and formula. So instead of lugging a full-size of your favourite perfume and risking damage, go for travel-sized vials. In this way, the perfume will last you a good amount of time as you only need a few spritzes to last you through the day. Moreover, you can carry two to three travel sizes of your collection so that you have options. If you fancy, you can even layer them!
- A Cool, Dark Place A.K.A. Your Refrigerator
Sounds bizarre but the idea of storing perfumes is vouched for by some perfume experts. A refrigerator is a cool, dark place where the temperature remains constant. That’s why some perfume connoisseurs prefer storing some of their beloved bottles in a fridge. A useful tip along with this is to place the bottle in its original box and put it in the refrigerator, away from pungent substances.
- Check Older Perfumes For Discolouration Or Fogginess
If you have a few perfume bottles for a while, you would do well to regularly check them for oxidation. This could appear in a couple of forms like a change in colour, fogginess or a scent that may not be as strong. If you notice any of the aforementioned changes, then sadly it might be time to part ways with it. What you can learn from this is that if you like collecting perfumes then it’s wise to go for travel or sample-sized bottles. These will last you longer, allowing you to try a variety of scents well within their expiration date.