Perfume is something that people wear to make themselves feel a specific way. It’s an indulgence, something to splurge on and treat yourself to. When you stop wearing your favourite scents, they don’t just stop smelling like themselves. They lose their identity and character.
Perfumes have a shelf life. So, what do you do when you have one too many? Here are eight ways to make your favourite perfumes work longer.
1. Don’t store it upright
It seems logical that you should store your perfume upright in a dark, air-tight container to lengthen the shelf life as long as possible. However, this isn’t the case. When you store your perfume upright, you’re pushing the air out of the bottle.
Once the air in the bottle has evaporated, you have minimal chance of getting more. Oils have a short shelf life, so you’re essentially swapping out the active ingredients for air by keeping your bottle upright.
2. Don’t heat it above body temperature
One of the most common ways people damage their perfume is by applying heat to it. If you use your perfume above body temperature, you’re doing more harm than good. You’re going to stretch out the fragrance and change its smell.
If you’re eager to get more use out of your favourite scent, try blotting it with a cloth rather than applying heat.
3. Keep it out of direct sunlight
If you have a bottle of your favourite perfume, you have probably kept it in a drawer or a cabinet kept out of the light. This is a mistake. Whilst you don’t need to expose it to UV rays, you need to let it shine slightly.
Place your perfume in a room where there is plenty of natural light, and it will be able to look forward to lots of love from you. Your perfume will thank you for it.
4. Shake it gently before use
As soon as you bring your new perfume home, give it a gentle shake. This works twofold. Firstly, you’re mixing the ingredients to create a more even scent. Secondly, you will expose the molecules to the air, which will help them last longer.
Of course, if your bottle is too full, you may create more of a mess than anything else. If this is the case, simply use a tissue to remove any excess before giving your bottle a shake.
5. Use quality oils
Perfumes are made up of various ingredients, and some will be more important than others. The scent of your perfume is largely down to the oils in it.
Oils such as citronella and eucalyptus tend to be the most common in natural fragrances, and these will evaporate relatively quickly. You can try swapping these for more long-lasting ingredients such as patchouli, vetiver or amber, although this will add to the price of your perfume.
6. Keep the lid on tight
You will find that most perfume bottles have a plastic lid. This is to help keep the scent in, and you should keep it on the bottle as much as possible.
If you keep the lid on tight, your fragrance should be able to breathe without getting too much exposure to air. Whilst you don’t want your perfume to be exposed to direct sunlight or heat, you should be able to leave it out without having to worry about it evaporating.
7. Don’t pump the bottle
As soon as you have opened a new perfume bottle, you should give it a little shake. This will help your scent settle and evenly distribute the oils. Once you have done this, you should not pump the bottle. This creates more air space in the bottle, which is the last thing you want.
8. Do let your perfume breathe
You should be able to smell your perfume from a distance, but you should let it breathe for the best results. This means that you should hold your bottle at a slight angle so that the scent has the opportunity to seep into the air.
Don’t hold your bottle directly under a light source, or it could oxidise, and don’t store it in a crammed dresser. Let it breathe, and your perfume should last longer.
Conclusion
The lifespan of a perfume will vary depending on the scent and how often you wear it. While some scents can only last for about a few hours, others can last for months. So, to extend the life of your perfume, you will have to be more selective about what you buy. You can do several things to help ensure you get as much use out of your perfumes.
Perfumes are a delicate matter but are a great payoff. You can either make your own perfume or get them off a store’s shelf. Whether you need help bringing a new fragrance into your home or just want to try something new, there are plenty of options for perfumes.
Perfumery is an art and science that can be perfected with time by taking notes from the scent itself as well as its impact on our surroundings. You might even attempt to create your own perfume for the next project!
Perfumes have a shelf life. So, what do you do when you have one too many? Here are eight ways to make your favourite perfumes work longer.
1. Don’t store it upright
It seems logical that you should store your perfume upright in a dark, air-tight container to lengthen the shelf life as long as possible. However, this isn’t the case. When you store your perfume upright, you’re pushing the air out of the bottle.
Once the air in the bottle has evaporated, you have minimal chance of getting more. Oils have a short shelf life, so you’re essentially swapping out the active ingredients for air by keeping your bottle upright.
2. Don’t heat it above body temperature
One of the most common ways people damage their perfume is by applying heat to it. If you use your perfume above body temperature, you’re doing more harm than good. You’re going to stretch out the fragrance and change its smell.
If you’re eager to get more use out of your favourite scent, try blotting it with a cloth rather than applying heat.
3. Keep it out of direct sunlight
If you have a bottle of your favourite perfume, you have probably kept it in a drawer or a cabinet kept out of the light. This is a mistake. Whilst you don’t need to expose it to UV rays, you need to let it shine slightly.
Place your perfume in a room where there is plenty of natural light, and it will be able to look forward to lots of love from you. Your perfume will thank you for it.
4. Shake it gently before use
As soon as you bring your new perfume home, give it a gentle shake. This works twofold. Firstly, you’re mixing the ingredients to create a more even scent. Secondly, you will expose the molecules to the air, which will help them last longer.
Of course, if your bottle is too full, you may create more of a mess than anything else. If this is the case, simply use a tissue to remove any excess before giving your bottle a shake.
5. Use quality oils
Perfumes are made up of various ingredients, and some will be more important than others. The scent of your perfume is largely down to the oils in it.
Oils such as citronella and eucalyptus tend to be the most common in natural fragrances, and these will evaporate relatively quickly. You can try swapping these for more long-lasting ingredients such as patchouli, vetiver or amber, although this will add to the price of your perfume.
6. Keep the lid on tight
You will find that most perfume bottles have a plastic lid. This is to help keep the scent in, and you should keep it on the bottle as much as possible.
If you keep the lid on tight, your fragrance should be able to breathe without getting too much exposure to air. Whilst you don’t want your perfume to be exposed to direct sunlight or heat, you should be able to leave it out without having to worry about it evaporating.
7. Don’t pump the bottle
As soon as you have opened a new perfume bottle, you should give it a little shake. This will help your scent settle and evenly distribute the oils. Once you have done this, you should not pump the bottle. This creates more air space in the bottle, which is the last thing you want.
8. Do let your perfume breathe
You should be able to smell your perfume from a distance, but you should let it breathe for the best results. This means that you should hold your bottle at a slight angle so that the scent has the opportunity to seep into the air.
Don’t hold your bottle directly under a light source, or it could oxidise, and don’t store it in a crammed dresser. Let it breathe, and your perfume should last longer.
Conclusion
The lifespan of a perfume will vary depending on the scent and how often you wear it. While some scents can only last for about a few hours, others can last for months. So, to extend the life of your perfume, you will have to be more selective about what you buy. You can do several things to help ensure you get as much use out of your perfumes.
Perfumes are a delicate matter but are a great payoff. You can either make your own perfume or get them off a store’s shelf. Whether you need help bringing a new fragrance into your home or just want to try something new, there are plenty of options for perfumes.
Perfumery is an art and science that can be perfected with time by taking notes from the scent itself as well as its impact on our surroundings. You might even attempt to create your own perfume for the next project!
Join Scentopia, Sentosa's latest tourist attraction wonderful orchid scent crafting, fragrance tour, bridal shower or corporate team building which includes perfume making onsite and offsite, beach activities and more. We also serve primary school learning journey, secondary students and pupil on industrial excursions. Know more about our orchids perfume bar or therapeutic orchid scents and other wellness aromas. Conatct Perfume workshop or book a scent crafting session here.