A bottle of perfume is a stalwart of many people’s dressing tables, often always put on display.
With so many stylish and intricately crafted fragrance bottles on the market, it’s tempting to proudly show off your favourite scent in your bedroom or bathroom. And since plenty of people are currently on lockdown in their homes, they are not using as much of their perfumes as they normally would.
But according to a perfume expert, where you store your fragrances can have an impact on how long they remain in optimum condition.
Manchester-based Jonny Webber, of Perfume Direct, told how a recent survey conducted by the online store found 45 percent of people store their perfumes or aftershave on show in the bedroom, while 39 percent keep theirs in the bathroom.
‘This leaves only 16 percent of people actually storing their scents correctly,’ he said.
Webber shares with the Daily Mail, the best places to keep your perfumes – and how to ensure they stay fresh.
Avoid window sills
While it is handy to have your perfume in an easy-to-grab spot such as a windowsill or on top of a chest of drawers, these often prove the worst places to store your scents.
Jonny explained: ‘Exposing perfume to light and frequently altering temperatures is a sure fire way for perfumes to lose their original aroma.
‘Exposure to both natural and artificial light breaks down a scented liquids’ makeup, which over time can cause it to discolour and its chemical composition to change, altering its smell.’
He recommended storing perfume inside a cupboard, drawer or wardrobe to keep light exposure to a minimum, ensuring it stays in its original state for longer.
‘Alternatively, it can be kept on view but store it in its boxed packaging or a decorative box,’ he added.
Store it in the fridge
‘Perfume can also be kept in a fridge – just like you would store a fine wine or bottle of Champagne,’ Jonny suggested.
‘If you love the look of the bottle, keep it on display but make sure it’s empty. This way you won’t be tempted to spritz with a spray that’s past its best.’
Never store it in the bathroom
It’s important to keep your fragrances at a cool and consistent temperature – ideally between 60 and 70 degrees.
Jonny said: ‘Similar to the effect of light on scented liquids, perfume doesn’t like going from hot to cold and vice versa. Temperature fluctuations can alter the physical properties of a perfume’s ingredients.
‘Humid environments like bathrooms, and bedrooms that might get hot in the summer and are kept warm with central heating in the winter, are the worst places to actually store scents.
‘Pick a cool space that’s not prone to extreme temperature change.’
Picture: Pexels
Always replace the lid
According to Jonny, a perfume won’t begin to ‘age’ until it has been sprayed at least once.
‘It’s the introduction of oxygen that begins the oxidation process – much like when foods are opened from airtight containers,’ he explained.
‘Keep bottles unopened until you’re ready to use them every day – or, once opened and used, make sure you keep the lid on the bottle to help to seal it.’
Once it’s open, use it regularly
In general, your perfume likes to be used fairly quickly and not sat in the bottle, Jonny said.
‘This is because half-empty bottles leave room for oxygen to break down the scent,’ he added. ‘If stored correctly, perfume can last for two or even three years once opened.
Picture: Pexels
‘Some scents have a symbol on the bottom of the bottle that indicates how long the product should be open for. On average this is 24 months (two years).’
Don’t douse yourself in scent
If you’re thinking of spraying your perfume into the air and walking through it, creating a fragrance mist to douse yourself, it can actually have the opposite effect.
You might be wasting more perfume than you end up wearing, and by following this method your skin doesn’t actually come into direct contact with your chosen fragrance.
Jonny said: ‘It is best applied by spraying the perfume or aftershave straight onto your skin. Some of the best places for application include wrists, the inside of your elbow and even behind your ears!’
– Daily Mail
