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Does Perfume Expire? How To Tell + 3 Tips To Keep Your Fragrance Fresh
For some, finding your signature scent is a personal journey, to say the least. So once you've finally met your match, needless to say, it can be pretty difficult to part with, especially if you're far from reaching that final spritz. But here's the thing: Perfume expires. In terms of when and why you should toss a beloved fragrance? There are a few factors at play, which we've laid out below.
When does perfume expire, and why does it happen?
The short answer: It depends on the type of fragrance you have. Of course, traditional perfumes typically come laden with alcohols and stabilizers that extend the shelf-life quite a bit (we're talking years). Natural-leaning fragrances, on the other hand, have a much shorter window—the market still has some catching up to do, but a natural spritz tends to have less of the questionable players.
Yet even with a natural fragrance, the shelf-life has a broad range depending on the notes. "Typically, a more musky or woody type of perfume will last 12 to 15 months," says chemist and co-founder of NUELE Christine Martey-Ochola, Ph.D. That's because those scents aren't as volatile (meaning, they don't evaporate as quickly). If you have a floral or citrus-based scent, however, those tend to evaporate pretty fast: Martey-Ochola suggests a shelf-life of six to 12 months for those lighter notes.
In terms of what causes perfume to expire, consider these three main events: oxidation, UV exposure, and temperature. When your perfume interacts with air, heat, and sunlight, it has the potential to turn rancid, assuming there aren't too many stabilizers in the formula to keep it fresh. That said, if a fragrance marketed as natural boasts a shelf-life of five or some years, you might want to take a closer look: "There could be a whole lot of stabilizers and other chemicals in there," says Martey-Ochola.
How can you tell your perfume is expired?
OK, so we know what goes on at the chemical level, but what does that look like in the bottle? Martey-Ochola offers a few tell-all tips:
- First up, the obvious: Check the expiration date on the packaging. Martey-Ochola is a fan of keeping the perfume packaging (for a couple of reasons, which we'll touch on later), as it can remind you when it's time to toss the bottle. "If you just have the bottle of perfume, you have no idea when it's going to expire," she says. To take it a step further, she even recommends writing the date when you actually open the perfume inside the packaging, to give you an idea of how long the perfume can last.
- The color may change: "If it turns brownish or blackish, that's primarily because of oxidation," says Martey-Ochola. Of course, the change in color is much easier to spot if your fragrance is in a clear bottle.
- It might smell different: Ever had a perfume you loved, but after a while, it just smells, uh, off? Not rancid, per se, just not the signature scent you had picked from the get-go. According to Martey-Ochola, that's a sign your perfume may be expired: "The mix of ingredients may give a really nice aroma for a short period of time, but over an extended period they may start to cross-react and produce an aroma that's not necessarily good, especially if it's triggered by sunlight or heat."
- It might turn cloudy: Cloudiness is another sign of an unknown chemical reaction, says Martey-Ochola. "It's not necessarily because of mold or anything like that," she says. "But cloudiness is a pretty decent sign that there are other reactions going on in there."
- Finally, you might even see some sedimentation: Especially in older bottles, you can almost see some solid sedimentation gathering at the bottom. According to Martey-Ochola, that's a sure sign you should toss it.
3 tips to make it last longer.
If you have a favorite perfume, chances are you'll want to extend the life for as long as possible. Here's how to make the most of your fragrance:
Don't store it in the bathroom.
Contrary to popular belief, keeping your fragrance in the bathroom is not such a great idea. Sure, the bottle may look pretty sitting on your sink, but it's also exposed to quite a lot of heat. Especially if you're partial to a steamy shower, your bathroom can fog up with humidity—not a good environment for a natural-leaning fragrance.
Keep it in a cool place away from sunlight.
Rather, store your perfume in your bedroom. Better yet—in its box, inside a drawer. "Many times people will get rid of the packaging, but keep it in those boxes if possible because it minimizes exposure to UV," says Martey-Ochola. If you want to show off an especially glam bottle, you can keep it on your dresser if you so choose; just make sure to display it far from any windows to minimize the amount of heat and light.
Try not to leave the top off for too long.
When you go for a spritz, make sure to always top your fragrance when you're finished. It's nothing to fret over if you forget once or twice (hey, it happens!)—just know that the longer you expose the perfume to air, the quicker it oxidizes. "That can affect the stability of the perfume in the long run," Martey-Ochola notes.
The takeaway.
Yes, your perfume does expire—the when and why just may depend on the ingredients and storage. And while the quick tips above can help you make the most out of your fragrance, trying to extend the shelf-life for too long might not be such a good idea. Read: If your perfume turns rancid, there's a reason. If you simply can't part with a glitzy bottle, just clean it and keep it for décor—consider it a personal scent memory.
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