Is your perfume past its prime?

Ever sprayed your perfume in a small space, only to be assaulted by an awful smell? I have.
Just last week, I made the crucial error of spritzing an old favourite in the car (the operative word being ‘old’). Turns out, old faithful had gone bad. Very, very bad. It was like a cloud of sour, stale vinegar which quickly seeped into my clothing, the seats of my car, my hair, my mouth. Delicious.
It got me thinking - how had it gone off? It wasn’t stored in a different place to my other perfumes, and I had older ones that still smelled just fine. So why this one? I did some research and it turns out, here are the reasons...
What are the first signs of a fragrance expiring?
Without smelling it, the first thing to note is a change in colour. If it’s looking a little darker or thicker than usual, it’s probably spoiled. But if your perfume isn’t housed in a clear bottle, you’re going to have to spray it to find out for sure.
If the initial notes smell vinegary, acidic or sour, you’ll know it’s old. Before you bin it, keep in mind it could still be okay to use. An old fragrance, if well-made, might smell odd at first sniff, but may fade to a more subdued scent of the original fragrance. Just make sure you do a test run before heading out on a hot date wearing funky parfum!
(L - R) Lancôme 1001 Roses, Estée Lauder Beyond Paradise, Clinique Aromatics in White, Benefit Crescent Row See & Be Seen Sasha, Carven L’Eau De Toilette
How long does perfume keep?
Generally speaking, once a bottle has been opened, it should be used fairly quickly. Michael Edwards, founder of Fragrances of the World, says, “All fragrances deteriorate with time: light, citrus-based perfumes in as little as six months, floral scents in about a year and a half”. Without a specific use-by date, your best bet is to make sure your perfume lasts is to look after it.
What makes perfume go off?
We all love a citrusy scent (Orange Blossom all the way!), but they’re fragile. Along with florals, fruity notes are very volatile and have a tendency to go off very quickly. Natural ingredients are also vulnerable, thanks to the lack of preservatives, whereas woody and amber scents, like a good wine, actually improve with age.
(L - R) Lady Gaga Eau De Gaga EDP, Chanel Chance Eau Vive, MOR Modern Apothecary Little Luxuries Perfume Oil, Avon Little Black Dress
Can you prevent a perfume from going bad?
Edwards says the best defense is to keep your fragrance in a “cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and heat sources,” which is contrary to our impulses to keep our beautiful bottles on display. Extreme heat or cold will upset the delicate balance of the oils and change the scent. It’s a good idea to keep any fragrance you’re not wearing in the fridge. Remember the three enemies: sunlight, heat and air - and with that in mind, keep the perfumes in their boxes and out of the bathroom.
Another tip? Think small. When there is too much empty space in the bottle, the fragrance will oxidise and smell off, so it’s always better to buy a smaller bottle. Also, atomisers emit less air than a bottle with a screw cap, so using one of those will limit contamination and slow down evaporation.
(L - R) Les Secrets Magie Noire, Crabtree & Evelyn Night Garden Eau de Parfum Kashmir Musk
Look, by all means if you love keeping your scents on display, do so! What’s the point of having something beautiful nobody is going to see anyway? Perfume is one of those rare purchases that’s intended to indulge our romantic side, playing with both our memory and emotions in an intangible way. Just be mindful of where you place it in your home. The drier and cooler the place, the better!
Have you ever had a fragrance go bad? How did you tell?
Have you tried any of the products mentioned above?
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149 Member Comments
Sadly, I'v e had to throw out old perfumes.
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I usually use it up before it goes bad.
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Love gif articles haha.
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I am glad I use my perfume before it can go bad. I use perfume everyday and go through bottles regularly, they are empty before I know it, lol.
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Good advice and knowledge
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I have a really excessive perfume colleciton, and have kept them in a drawer for years in fear that my favorite "special" expensive fragrances will go off.
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I don't think a perfume has ever gone off on me. Lucky :)
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I once had a bottle of perfume last eight years and was still good to the last drop. I keep my perfumes in my bathroom cabinet, so being a cool, dark, dry place probably saved it from going off.
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This is a reminder to me of why I shouldn't buy too many perfumes and just stick to a few real favourites.
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I have had to throw perfumes I wasn't sure about. Don't want to smell on the nose.
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Wow I never knew fragrances could go bad! Luckily I haven’t had this misfortune yet!
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Thanks for all the info in this article bh. . Gotta check some bottles pronto. .
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Ok; I'm very precautious about makeup turning off but I actually didn't know that perfumes could turn off! Definetly can think of a few old perfumes that need to be thrown out now Never knew they could expire
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Great advice and so timely as Today I received a 200ml bottle of my favourite ever fragrance Chanel no. 5 as a gift and now I have the perfect excuse to use it every day no matter the occasion. I'd hate for it to go off! Wink wink.
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Thanks for this article. Apart from being interesting it's helpful in helping to store perfumes the right way to help them from going off. I never would have thought to put my perfume in the fridge! Let's face it, some perfumes are expensive and I want to try and make mine last as long as possible, plus I don't want to spray on something that's gone off and stink out my clothes and car.
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Ok; I'm very precautious about makeup turning off but I actually didn't know that perfumes could turn off! Definetly can think of a few old perfumes that need to be thrown out now
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So heartbreaking when a discontinued favourite eventually goes off!
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I'm sure mine are all well past their use-by date because I don't use them often enough.
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What a great article. I have kept mine in the fridge as my mum told me that helps them last longer and now it's confirmed. Another great reason to buy small apart from keeping your fragrance fresh is to give something new a try as well. Be different and change things up.
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I knew perfume could deteriorate and have actually tossed a few, interesting to know which perfumes last longer.
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I've been buying lots of natural-based perfumes recently, so I'm going to check them.
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I honestly had no idea that perfume could go off
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I have not had one go off, my room is fairly dark where I keep them
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Oops time to go through the bathroom cupboard and toss the perfumes that will be way beyond their life span
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Great info. I also use my perfume as a spray around my place it's nice to walk in & smell that beautiful scent it's a lot better then paying original spray's to do the job & it's not so overpowering either.
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