When it comes to the topic of how long your perfume lasts, there are many elements to consider. In fact, the topic spans from the perfume manufacture, formulation, shelf life to storage and usage. All these factors affect the duration to which your perfume last. Not convinced? Read below and see if you change your mind.
Application
The application itself affects how long perfume will last. If you want your perfume to last longer on your skin, some of the key steps to follow include;
- Applying perfume immediately after showering
- Moisturizing your skin before perfume application
- Applying it directly on your skin, particularly on pressure points
- Avoiding to rub the fragrance
- Not over spraying it
Shelf Life
Turning back to its manufacture, the first thing we should consider is, of course, it’s shelf life. One can imagine that perfume shelf life is affected by its formula and quality. However, you will be surprised to know that even though manufacturers provide a recommended usage duration, perfumes do not have a shelf life like food items.
Rather than expiring, they may simply lose quality in terms of their scents. Many manufacturers recommend using your perfume within 5 years of purchase. This is because, after this time, the scent may slightly be altered. This change is normally caused by a process known as oxidation. Over time, your perfume becomes oxidized.
Oxidation causes the scent to be slightly acidic, sour or metallic. This is because as you use the perfume over time, oxygen molecules penetrate the bottle to alter the chemical molecules of the fragrance which ultimately affects the scent. This process affects several types of perfumes over others. For example, perfumes with notes of citrus or patchouli, tend to be more affected than perfumes with scents such as vanilla. Yet, deep scents such as wood or amber tend to last longer.
Alcohol Affects Longevity
Surprising alcohol is also a component that highly affects the longevity of your perfume. Perfumes that have higher alcohol content tend to last longer than those that don’t. So perfume types such as eau de cologne or eau de fraiche will last longer compared to eau de parfum or eau de toilette.
This is because alcohol acts as a preservative and protective measure to prevent the aromatic molecules in the perfume from being oxidized. So you should expect perfumes such as alcohol-free perfumes, oil-based perfumes and perfumes with citrus notes to expire or lose their scent intensity much sooner than others.
How To Make Your Perfume Last Longer
As much as there are factors you cannot control such as the perfume’s formulation and type, there are still ways you can help to preserve your perfume so it can last longer. Some of the common ways include;
Keep Away From Light
Light is your perfume’s number one energy. If you look at your perfume packaging label, it always says store in a dark place. This is because the light rays can affect the chemical make up of your perfume. Light rays will break down the molecules in your perfume to make it unstable and ultimately alter its scent.
The scent becomes much weaker and sometimes even acidic or metallic. So you want to avoid storing your perfume in brightly lit places. Store it in your closed wardrobe. You can even choose to leave it in its original box and simply place it on your dresser but away from direct sunlight.
Keep Away From Heat
Heat is another enemy to your perfume. Just like light, storing your perfume in a warm or hot place results in its molecules being broken down and affecting its overall scent. In general, you want to store your perfume below 15 degrees Celsius. So the first place to avoid storing your perfume is in the bathroom. If you’ve seen someone do this before, they are wrong!
With the water pipes, heat and humidity that is accumulated in the bathroom, it surely doesn’t make the best location to store your perfume. Instead, look for a dry and cool place to store it. Leaving it in its box and storing it away from direct sunlight is the first viable option. Some people even choose to store their perfume in a refrigerator for more preservation.
Alcohol based perfumes are safe to store in the refrigerator because their alcohol content prevents them from freezing. And after some time in the fridge, you will love the cool refreshing temperature. However, the family refrigerator in the kitchen may not be the best option. First, it is useless to do so if your family members will frequently open the fridge doors and let the warm air in.
And if you have children, it is even more dangerous. The perfume will either end up being consumed or the bottle will end up on the floor. So, if you can afford a mini fridge in your bedroom or a less frequented room, this is where you should store your perfumes. and if you can’t afford an extra refrigerator, try wrapping the perfume with aluminum foil and store it a vanity box.
Stick To One Fragrance
As funny and unrealistic as it sounds, you can actually preserve the longevity of your perfume by sticking to one bottle at a time. Experts recommend sticking to one perfume bottle until it is used up and then, transitioning on to another bottle. Typically, an average person owns at least two or more fragrances. Many of us have fragrances for day wear as well as evening wear.
However, experts say that when you open a perfume, begin using it and leave it for some time without using it, you increase its oxidation rate. This is because when the perfume is left half empty, more oxygen will penetrate the bottle to alter the aromatic molecules. This effect tends to be more significant with highly concentrated fragrances and perfumes.