1) Can’t stand the light

Perfume components can be affected by light, their scent can become less strongly or even go off. You can protect your perfume against this quite easily by keeping your bottle in the original packaging (box, case, bag) in a cupboard or where it is dark.

Sometimes a brand has already thought about this through the design of their bottles, by using not transparent but colored glass. We find examples in the dark blue glass of Lorenzo Villoresi or the black glass at BeauFort London. 

2) Keep it cool
Higher temperatures and heat fluctuations are the second enemy for the quality of your perfumes. Heat accelerates the aging process.

Storing your precious bottle in the fridge may not be practical, and not everyone has a cellar at their disposal. However, both places are perfect storage places, but simply storing your perfumes in a closed cupboard in a relatively cool bedroom is a good start.

Places where you definitely should not keep your perfumes: warm cars (glove box), in direct sunlight or a windowsill, or warm and heat fluctuating bathrooms.

3) Oxygen is life
No life without oxygen, but with perfumes oxygen can accelerate the aging process and turn any fragrance rancid. So, always close your perfumes tightly by securely close the cap. Avoid balloon atomizers if possible. This is also the reason that atomizers are often clinched around the neck of the perfume bottle, this way, no air can enter. It might be less environmentally friendly since you have to discard your bottle after use but it prolongs the shelf life of your fragrance.

Also pay attention to the packaging material, in glass (closed properly) perfumes are optimally preserved and last longest.

You should preferably finish samples, especially in plastic vials, within 6 months. When samples are made, the perfume comes into contact with air (and therefore oxygen) next to that there is always some extra air in the vial.

Skin-friendly?
If your perfume comes into contact with your fingertips or skin in general, the fatty layer on your skin reacts to your perfume. Unfortunately, this can also accelerate the breakdown of your fragrance. Try to avoid this as much as possible. If this is unavoidable (such as with a perfume solid or perfume oil), always make sure to apply it with dry, clean fingertips.

Getting older is a part of life
How do you know if your perfume has expired or turned bad? The best way is to use your nose if the juice smells different or rancid your perfume has gone off. 

Next to that, the color of the liquid can tell you if your perfume is too old or has not been properly stored. In these cases the color can change, usually, it gets darker.

Sometimes aging also benefits a perfume; the scent can become deeper and more intense. This we call positive aging, the scent matures like a good wine. So use your nose, it will tell you if your perfume has become more beautiful or if it is ready for the bin.

For the official shelf life of your product, check for this symbol on the packaging. On most packages, there is a small jar with an open lid with a number in it. This number represents the number of months that your product should keep after opening. In the picture displayed on this blog, this is 12 months.

If this symbol is not on the packaging, your product should keep for an average of 30 months stored in its original packaging, cool, dark, and dry.

But the very best tip is: enjoy your perfumes and use them often. Don’t give them a chance to go off!