How to store your perfume collection properly

Perfumes smell incredibly delicate because they are. Quality ones may not come cheap, but they last a long time as long as they?re stored correctly. Surprisingly, keeping your favorite scents on a vanity will significantly reduce their shelf life.

Luxurious perfumes are composed of alcohols and oils that will easily break down if exposed to heat or light. You may not notice right away, but slowly the scent either changes or fades until it?s gone. Unfortunately, fragrances in large, pricier bottles are even more vulnerable to the elements when improperly stored.

Learning how to store your perfume collection properly is simple. Follow these basic guidelines to preserve your favorite scent for as long as it takes you to use it. 

Choose a dark place

Perfume bottles are designed to be seen. The visual impact is almost as pleasing as the scent to many women. This is why the most common storage error is displaying bottles in direct light.

~

Rule of thumb: the lighter the color of the bottle, the darker you need the storage space to be. A few scents come in opaque black or blue bottles. These are more protected and therefore can be displayed on a surface with indirect light or in a relatively dark bathroom. Know that you?re still taking a risk that it won?t last as long.

Ideal storage spaces for all perfumes are room temperature, dry and dark!

For special occasion scents

One of the most important steps in how to store your perfume collection is to organize it by usage. If you have a few in small bottles that you rotate between – perfumes for date nights and work -storage isn?t an issue because you?ll finish the bottles before they degrade. When kept on a surface with sunlight exposure, they?ll still keep for a few months. 

However, bottles that you don?t use regularly are best stored in a closed box. Infrequent use means you?ll require a much longer shelf life. A small box will keep them out of the way and drastically reduces exposure to sunlight. 

Beware of vents and radiators

Heat will do as much damage as sunlight. Look around before tucking your perfume-filled box into the closet or in a drawer. Make sure there?s not a radiator or heating vent close by. 

Don?t go too extreme

Since heat and light degrade a fragrance, moving it to the refrigerator makes sense, right? Don?t do it. Remember, this is a fragile substance. Cold temperatures cause stress, which will also cause the composition to break down. Also removing it from the fridge to use and then returning exposes it to temperature fluctuatuations that will destroy it fast. Consistency is important.

Guard from humidity

Most bathrooms fluctuate in temperature and get excessively humid after showers. Even those with good ventilation will hold enough humidity to break down perfume and makeup. Only choose the bathroom as your storage space if you have an air-tight cabinet or container to protect your products from steam.

Protect from breakage

Accidents happen, but sometimes they?re avoidable. Many bottles are as lovely and delicate as the substances they contain. If you must display them, wait until the bottle is empty. Leaving them out, even in a cool dark place, increases the risk of getting knocked over. If the fall doesn?t break the bottle, it?ll still shake the contents, introducing air and accelerating degradation.

Try a closet

Linen closets are attractive candidates for your whole collection. Often located by the bathroom or bedroom, they typically satisfy the requirements of a perfect storage space:

• Dark
• Dry
• Unheated
• Conveniently located to boot!  

Knowing how to store your perfume collection preserves the integrity of each scent so you will enjoy them for years rather than months.