Everything About Perfume and Its Conservation

As with beauty products, we wonder how long it is possible to keep our perfume. What are the factors that make our perfumes more fragile, and how can we prevent our perfumes from deteriorating over time? This is what we are going to see here.

What Is a Perfume Made Of?

To understand how sensitive a product a perfume is, you have to understand how and with what it is made.

The fragility of perfume lies as much in the composition as in its manufacturing process.

A perfumer chooses the raw materials that will go into the composition of a perfume, which is generally made up of the three following elements:

• An oily fragrant concentrate, which is the main scenting ingredient
• A base, usually alcohol (ethyl, or more recently, for perfumes wanting a more natural, plant-based alcohol, wheat or beet alcohol). Alcohol allows the diffusion of the perfume when it is sprayed: by evaporating, it carries the odorous substances with it to create the famous sillage. In the base, one also sometimes finds water and/or oil.
• A fixative, generally used in the base note.
• Various products can also participate in the elaboration of the perfume (anti-UV agents, colorants, or decolorants…).

Note that perfumes can be made from natural and/or synthetic raw materials (such as white musk).

These raw materials are delicate and remain sensitive.

To keep your perfume intact, a few important recommendations should be followed.

Want to learn more about the use of raw materials in perfumery? Discover our Pocket Quiz perfume-culture game, a fun general-knowledge game about perfume.

The Signs of a Perfume That Has Deteriorated

Perfumes sometimes have an indication of a use-by limit, like what you find on the boxes of beauty products, and sometimes this information is not noted. Whatever the case, this does not mean they can be kept indefinitely.

As for the change of colour, it is not a sign of expiry. When the colour of the perfume changes, it is entirely possible that this is the result of a natural maceration, of a chemical reaction between the different raw materials. Some become amber-tinged or darken over time, but this in no way alters the quality of the perfume.

Trust your sense of smell: if, despite a change of colour, the smell of the perfume remains intact, then there is no contraindication to using it. One will nevertheless be very careful not to spray it on light-coloured or delicate clothes, at the risk of staining them.

Another point to take into consideration: if a powerful smell of alcohol (reminiscent of vinegar, for example) takes hold of your nostrils, if the perfume gives off an acrid, irritating smell, or on the contrary if the perfume is no longer as fragrant as it was originally, it is a sign that the perfume has deteriorated.

Recommendations for Optimal Conservation

You should know that fragrances with a high concentration resist time better. Extraits and eaux de parfum, in which the concentration of base notes is predominant, will keep better and longer than fresh waters or eaux de toilette composed essentially of more volatile notes that are more sensitive to oxidation.

As we have seen, the molecules that make up a perfume are fragile. To prolong the shelf life, it is better to follow these few recommendations.

Avoid Direct Light

One might think it would be a shame not to display the magnificent bottle of one’s favourite perfume on a shelf, but in reality, it is better for it to be sheltered from light. Indeed, directly exposing the perfume to natural or artificial lighting (lamps can generate heat, another enemy of perfume) is one of the causes of the fragrance’s deterioration. Choose instead to keep it, as far as possible, in its original box, or in a drawer.

Beware of Temperature Variations

A perfume will not keep its initial freshness with overly fluctuating temperature changes. It is best to preserve it at a constant temperature, in a bedroom far from the window, for example.

Some collectors opt for a cool, dry cellar to store all their perfumed treasures. One can also opt for the bottom compartment of the refrigerator.

In the shop of Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, the perfumes are stored on shelves in a refrigerated place.

Banish Humid Places

And the worst place remains the bathroom! As with temperature variations, humidity is to be avoided. Prefer a room that you can ventilate at your convenience, or if possible use a dehumidifier.

Avoid Prolonged Contact with Air

Close the perfume well with its cap. In the event that you use a bottle with a screw closure—practical when you want to refill them with a refill—it is imperative to reseal the perfume bottle hermetically to prevent air from oxidising the fragrance and therefore altering it. Nor do you shake the bottle before perfuming yourself; this serves absolutely no purpose from an olfactory point of view—however, the air contained in the bottle can degrade the perfume more quickly.

Favour Frequent Cleaning

Roll-on bottles or table bottles with a wand are, moreover, exposed to possible contamination by bacteria during direct application on the skin. Remember to clean them regularly with alcohol.

By following these recommendations, the conservation of your perfumes will be optimised and you will be able to keep them for a very long time!