LIFESTYLE | 16-05-2023

The Ultimate Skins Guide to Preserving Perfume

At Skins, we understand that perfumes are an important part of your personal style and identity. Therefore, it is essential to know how to store your fragrances in the right way so that they maintain their quality for as long as possible. In this article, our Skins Experts share their tips and advice on storing perfumes so you can fully enjoy your favourite scents.

The ideal storage conditions for perfumes

To maintain the quality and longevity of your perfumes, it is important to store them in a cool, dry and dark place. Avoid exposure to direct sunlight, heat and moisture, as these can affect the fragrance molecules and alter the scent. Preferably store perfumes in their original packaging, as it is specially designed to protect the perfume from harmful external influences.

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Temperature and humidity

The ideal temperature for storing perfumes is at room temperature. This is on average between 15 and 20 degrees Celsius. Keep in mind that higher temperatures and humidity can affect the fragrance and shorten its lifespan. Therefore, it is better not to store your perfumes in the bathroom, as the temperature and humidity are often higher there. Instead, choose a cool, dry room such as a bedroom, wardrobe or chest of drawers. You can also store perfume in the fridge in summer. This prevents the perfume from being exposed to warmer temperatures, and in addition provides a cooling sensation on the skin.

Perfume bottles: protection from light and air

Perfume bottles are usually made of dark or opaque glass. This protects the contents from harmful UV rays and oxidation from exposure to air. Make sure the cap or atomiser is firmly on the bottle to prevent the perfume from coming into contact with air. Store perfume bottles upright to prevent leakage and to ensure the fragrance does not come into contact with the cap, which can affect the fragrance. Do you still want to carry your favourite perfume in your handbag or travel luggage? Then use our Sample Service, our Skins Travel Spray or choose one of the stylish travel sprays from our range.

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Consider the shelf life of perfumes

Although perfumes do not have an exact expiry date, it is important to know that some fragrance notes can change over time or even lose their optimal quality. Specific fragrance notes lose their desired scent faster, such as citrus notes, which often appear in the top of a perfume. As a result, the top can disappear faster and be less noticeable. If a perfume does not have these scent notes, a fragrance can retain its quality for a very long time. In general, eau de parfums have a longer shelf life than eau de toilettes. Eau de parfums can last about two to three years and eau de toilettes one to two years if stored properly. When a perfume is past its date, the scent, colour and texture may have changed. Therefore, consider the shelf life of your perfumes by smelling, sensing and observing, and replace them if necessary.

Natural perfumes & shelf life

At Skins, we also sell many perfumes with natural ingredients, such as those from Essential Parfums and Aesop. These brands are not exclusively natural but contain a high percentage of natural ingredients. Perfumes with natural ingredients may change colour over time, as they often do not contain synthetic stabilisers found in conventional perfumes. However, this does not necessarily mean that the perfumes are past their date. Has the colour changed, but is the scent still the same? Then you can assume that your perfume is not expired.

The art of perfume maturation

Le Labo Fragrances uses maceration and maturation in their perfume creations. We therefore keep the fragrances from this perfume house in our boutiques in the fridge, as they are freshly blended in the Parisian laboratory. Maceration refers to the ripening process of the newly blended ingredients, while maturation involves the process of adding alcohol and pouring the fragrance into the bottle. Similar to a bottle of excellent wine, perfume must first mature so that all the ingredients and alcohol blend harmoniousl to create a sophisticated fragrance.

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