THE LIFESPAN OF PERFUMES

Nothing lasts forever. Not even your perfumes. We know you probably have never thought your perfume could exhaust its lifespan. Well, we are here to tell you that perfumes, like every other product in existence, do expire.

It is a regular thing to check the underneath of products purchased for expiring dates. Unfortunately, most perfumes do not come with such dates. So, it is difficult to know when to stop using and throw away an expired perfume. Since this is the case, how can you then tell when a perfume has expired?

How long do perfumes last before deteriorating?

While It is very uncommon to come across a physically noticeable expired fragrance, once a bottle of fragrance has been opened, It takes an average time of 3-4 years to expire. The reason why this happens isn’t far-fetched. On each spray, air enters in to the bottle, thereby oxidizing the molecules in the fragrance over time.

To practically test this, if you have a perfume you have opened for years now. Spritz it on yourself. You will notice a serious reduction in scent intensity. Like it no longer has that sparkling smell. Yeah! That is the result of oxidation.

A way to even further shorten the lifespan of your fragrance is to store it wrongly. By wrongly, we mean storing it within the reach of sunlight. It is no longer news that warm to hot temperature turns the juice, making the fragrance last as briefly as 3-6 months.

You might be wondering what happens to an unopened fragrance. An unopened perfume can stay for several years and still have its notes intact like brand new. Only if you store it properly.

Expiration indicators

One major way to tell that a perfume has expired is by looking at the appearance of the liquid. You will notice a color change. A darker shade or a faded color mostly signals the expiration of a fragrance.

More so, it gives off a slight metallic scent (a sour smell) resulting from the oxidation of certain notes like aromatics, citrus, patchouli, and all fruits in general contained within the fragrance. Although, recently, perfume creators now use ultraviolet filters and stabilizers to lessen the sensitivity of fragrance molecules to oxidation reaction.

What happens when you use an expired perfume?

Contrary to how your hair product may impact your hair if used after it has expired, it is quite rare for a person to react adversely to an expired perfume. However, the compounds generated from the oxidation of the molecules can irritate some skin types.

Little caramel toppings on your ice cream—

When you notice your perfumes have expired, spraying them on your skin is the last thing you want to do out of fear of skin irritation. Here is a path you can choose to tread instead of wasting them.

You can utilize your expired perfume by using it as a room freshener. You can spray it all over the room and enjoy every dime you spent on it.