How to store perfume?

Storing your fragrances properly is essential! Whether you have expensive, luxurious scents or budget-friendly perfumes, you can get more from them if properly cared for. In this blog post, we will discuss perfume storage ideas, from the best places to keep them to temperature.

Let’s delve into our top tips for perfume storage…

Keep bottle closed

A simple tip to consider is to keep the perfume bottle closed. Once the perfume is exposed to oxygen it becomes oxidised causing the smell to dilute and therefore fade over time.

Store your fragrance in a dark place

We suggest that you keep your perfumes in a dark place, away from direct sunlight and artificial lighting. Excessive amounts of light on an opened or unopened perfume bottle can damage the fragrance.

Exposure to light can cause structures within the fragrance to break down. If you expose a perfume to light, then it will only last up to six months! The scent will become unpleasant and will give off sour hints.

All in all, you should store your perfumes in dark storage places. Here are a few of the best places:

• Cupboards
• Drawers
• Boxes
• Original packaging

Store your perfume in a dry place

Moisture and water can cause damage to perfumes, as they can cause chemical reactions to occur and break down the structure of the scent, which can alter the smell. Also, humidity can cause the perfume to evaporate, leaving you with less of the scent to use up!

Therefore, you will want to avoid rooms with fluctuating moisture levels e.g. kitchen or bathroom, because these rooms tend to hold steam. However, if you live in a humid place, then you may want to invest in a humidifier. This will help remove moisture in the air.

Avoid storing fragrances in the bathroom

The bathroom is one of the worst places you could store your fragrances. There are a few reasons for this, such as:

• Fluctuating temperature: the heat of the bathroom is constantly changing, mainly due to the use of varying temperatures of water. This is not good for perfumes, as it can cause a series of unwanted chemical reactions.
• Humidity: there are high levels of moisture in the air of bathrooms, which is not beneficial to perfume, as it can break down structures in the fragrance and even cause it to evaporate.

Not only can storing perfume in the bathroom cause issues with the fragrance, but it can also cause issues with the bottle of the perfume. For example, the sticker might begin to peel off or the colour of the bottle might fade.

Keep perfume in the original box

Whilst you might want to show off the perfume bottle, it is highly advisable to keep it in the original box. The packaging offers further levels of protection against direct light and moisture. Additionally, it helps keep a consistent temperature of the bottle. 

Also, if an accident occurs e.g. the bottle drops or falls from its shelf, then the original box offers cushioning and may prevent the bottle from shattering.

Keep on a low-level shelf

Another simple yet crucial tip is to keep perfumes on a low-level shelf. If you put the fragrance on a high shelf, and it falls off, then it can cause the bottle to shatter or break. Not only is this a waste of a scent, but it can leave a room smelling strong for weeks or even months…

Keep the bottle sealed

We suggest that you keep the bottle closed until you are ready to use it. If you open it to test the scent or use it just once, then it will begin to oxidise. Once the oxidisation process has started, you have two years to use up the perfume before the smell starts to fade.

Nonetheless, if you follow some of the other perfume storage tips below, then you will be able to extend the scent beyond two years. 

Avoid excessive shaking

Whilst it might be tempting to shake a perfume to maximise its scent, this is not the correct thing to do. Mixing a fragrance can cause oxidation, due to the bubbles that will form inside the scent. This can ruin chemical bonds, and dilute some of the more delicate hints in the perfume.

Keep it in the original bottle

It may be an attractive idea to transfer your scents from their original bottles to decorative perfume bottles, however, this is not the best for the fragrances. It can cause the scent to sour, as these bottles have not been properly designed. For example, original bottles for all fragrances are designed to be airtight and have a bespoke spray head (so the perfect amount of the scent is dispersed).

Take a smaller vessel or bottle while traveling

As mentioned, taking the cap off your perfume will ultimately stand the decay process for your fragrance - consider purchasing a travel-sized bottle of your favourite fragrance to avoid concerns around air exposure. In the long-run it will likely save you some money.

Try to maintain a constant temperature

The temperature has an impact on the chemical structure of perfume, as it can cause changes and ruin the delicious smell of your favourite fragrances. 

If the temperature is too low or too high, then the fragrance will not react well with it. When deciding where you are storing your perfume, you must consider the heat and consistency of temperature. For example, does a draught come into the room? Is there too much direct sunlight that comes into the room?

 As a result, you should never store your perfume in the bathroom or kitchen, as the temperature fluctuates depending on the activity in the room. You may consider storing your fragrances in your wardrobe, as it remains cool all year around. However, if you have large windows that are facing the sun, then it could be warmer than your average room and you will want to avoid putting your fragrances here.

Check fragrance for discolouration

Whilst this is not a storage tip, we recommend checking your fragrances for discolouration, as a general maintenance practice. 

Discolouration can indicate the fragrance is starting to go bad, and that you may have to take extra precautions with storage.

It is important to keep in mind that natural ingredients will darken over time, without the scent altering. But, if the perfume is created with synthetic fragrances, the colour should not change with age.

Store perfume in an air-tight container

If you want to extend the life of your favourite fragrances even further, then you may consider double packing them. So, you could keep the bottle in the original packaging, and put the bottle inside an air-tight bag. This ensures that no air and no light will reach the bottle, ensuring little levels of oxygen and direct light.

Opt for longer-lasting fragrances

Taking measures to store fragrances safely and properly is essential, however, if you have a poor-quality perfume or scents with particular hints that are not long-lasting, then it might not last as long.

Hints such as floral and citrus are not long-lasting. If you want an enduring scent, then you may consider an oud (oudh) perfume.  

If you are interested in purchasing a long-lasting fragrance, check out Sunnamusk’s collection of perfumes or bespoke scents to create your own signature, enduring spray.