How to Store Perfume Properly

How to Store Perfume Properly

I love perfume, but lately I haven’t bought or even tested any new ones. After a feverish period of trying out whatever scents I could, I suddenly stopped and decided to shop my stash. Why? Well, while cleaning up my little drawer of perfumes some months ago, I picked up one of the bottles and sprayed it on my arm. Not only did it no longer smell the same as I remembered it, there was also a slightly rancid scent to it. It had gone off! Thinking back, I had acquired it about two years ago, when I didn’t know yet how to store perfume properly, and just placed it on top of my dresser and sometimes left it inside a car. This was such a shame because the bottle was still very full. I felt very bad about that. If you treasure your fragrances, you should also know how to store them properly. Here’s how.

• Keep them away from direct sunlight.  Sunlight can deteriorate the qualities and composition of perfume.While it would be nice to put those lovely bottles on display on your vanity, they’ll probably get hit by sunlight throughout the day. Instead, keep them in a dark place, like the inside of a closet or cabinet.

• Do not store perfume in a hot or humid area. If the room you store your perfume in tends to get very hot and bright, pick a storage location there that doesn’t get hit directly by sunlight and keeps relatively cool. For me, that would be a closed drawer inside the closet. It lets things remain relatively cool and dry.
• Try to keep perfume in their boxes and with the caps on. This should help shield them from light and heat, and help preserve their notes and original quality. It may sound a bit boring to some to stow beautiful perfumes in their boxes, but this should help keep their chemical makeup intact.

• Don’t leave them in the car. Even if a car is parked in a garage or shaded area, with the heat and humidity outdoors, it can still get hot inside the car at some point in the day. When I want to bring or reapply a fragrance that’s in a heavy or bulky packaging, I buy atomizers, which are cheap and more purse-friendly.
• Clean the bottles once in a while. Through time, perfume bottles can get dusty or dirty. Show your perfume collection some love by wiping them clean every once in a while.

• Check your collection. Browse your perfume collection and get the ones which you haven’t used in some time. Spritz and smell those to see if they still smell the same or have gone off. While a lot of perfumes last years if stored properly, some brands simply tend to go bad more quickly than others.

Those are my suggestions on how to store perfume. Stored properly, they should last many years. I hope that my perfumes last long enough that my daughter can use and enjoy them in the future. In the meantime, I’ve resolved to finish at least one bottle before buying a new one, and put all the scents in rotation, so that none end up being unloved.

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