How to Store Perfume

Many of us likely have memories of the pretty bottles of perfume that lined our grandmother's or mum's dressing tables. You may have even sneaked a spritz or two when they weren't looking!

As tempting as it is to leave your favourite fragrance out on display like them, this is far from the best way to store perfume. Perfume bottles might not state that the fragrance inside has an expiry date. But leave your scents out in the sun and you could end up with an entire perfume collection that smells well past its best.

Wondering how to store perfume to make sure that it keeps its fresh fragrance as long as possible? Let's take a look at the top fragrance storage rules in this helpful perfume guide!

Don't Open the Bottle Until You're Ready to Use It

When you're wearing perfume, one of the reasons that the scent fades over time is because it starts to dilute when exposed to the oxygen in the air.

Opening a bottle of perfume for a quick spritz only to put it back in storage is a big mistake as this starts off the oxidation process. With more oxygen and less scent in the bottle, the scent will begin to dilute. From then, you'll only have two years at most to use the perfume up before it starts to lose its potency and clarity.

Depending on how you store your perfume, an unopened bottle can stay sparkling for years, or even decades. With all this in mind, it's wise to avoid opening a new perfume bottle until you're ready to use it.

Store Your Perfume Away from Light

A key way to ensure that your perfume stays fresher for longer is to store it away from direct sunlight. Whether you've opened the bottle or not, sunlight and even artificial light can damage your perfume.

This is because the introduction of light can break down the sensitive structure of a fragrance. Fragrances exposed to light will only last three to six months at most. What's more, the fragrance may start to change even before that. Often, fragrances exposed to light can give off a sour odour rather than the fragrant bouquets they're meant to emit.

Dark, closed storage spaces such as cupboards, drawers, or other similar locations are ideal for storing perfume. You should also keep your perfume in its original box as a way to offer the bottle extra protection against unwanted light. By keeping your perfume in a place free from both natural and man-made light, it's much more likely to maintain its chemical structure and continue smelling as it should.

Seek Somewhere With a Consistent Temperature

It's not only light and temperature changes that can corrupt the delicate balance of notes in your precious bottles of Thierry Mugler's finest fragrances. Very high and very low temperatures can also harm the quality of your perfume. Even if you find somewhere dark to store your fragrance, you'll need to consider whether the room is subject to heat from the sun or cool draughts from a nearby window or door.

For example, your wardrobe might be a great place to store your perfume if your bedroom stays the same cool temperature all year round and doesn't get much direct sunlight. But if a lot of light enters the room and it tends to overheat in summer, you should find another storage spot for your scents.

For these same reasons, you can forget storing your perfume in the bathroom or the kitchen. The kitchen can get very hot when people are cooking, while the bathroom tends to warm up a lot whenever anyone has a shower or bath. A guest bedroom or a hallway might be better options as people don't tend to gather in these rooms, meaning they offer quite consistent storage temperatures for your perfume.

Keep Your Fragrance in a Dry Place

Water is also a force to fear when it comes to perfume damage. As with light and extreme temperatures, exposure to humidity will destroy a scent by causing unwanted chemical reactions to occur. This is yet more reason to avoid keeping your perfume in the kitchen or bathroom as these rooms tend to steam up a lot when in use.

If you live in a damp or humid environment, you might want to store your perfume in a room with a humidifier. This will ensure that there is no excess moisture in the air and that your perfume doesn't evaporate.

Finding Other Ways to Display Your Perfume Collection

Many perfume bottles are so decorative that it seems a shame to hide them away in drawers and cupboards. Although this is essential for ensuring a perfume's freshness while you're using it, there's no reason not to put it on display once you've finished the bottle.

Many people collect empty perfume bottles and use them to decorate their dressers and shelves. Doing the same allows you to show off perfumes you've used and loved without having to worry about compromising the contents of the bottles.

Another option is to put the box from a fragrance gift set out on display in your bedroom. Then, when you're done with the perfume, you can place it on your dresser the same way your mum used to when you were a little girl.

How to Store Perfume

As this guide on how to store perfume shows, it's not always easy to find a suitable place to keep your fragrances.

Your priority should be to store your scents in a dry, dark space with a consistent temperature. Keeping your fragrances in their original boxes can help preserve them further, while leaving them unopened until you're ready to use them is also key.

The best location for storing your perfume will depend on the environmental factors in your home. But, a bedroom, hall, or living room will always be more suitable than a kitchen or bathroom.

Do you have any more doubts or queries about perfume? Feel free to contact us here at Perfume Price for more information or have a look at our FAQs to see if we've already answered your question there!