How to Keep Perfume From Going Bad

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By eHow Contributing Writer

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Perfume; Use it or Lose it

Perfume doesn't go "bad" but scent and color can change over time. The average shelf life of a perfume is three to five years. A pure perfume's shelf life is even less: One to three years. Here are tips to keep your fabulous fragrance in tip top condition.

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Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Step 1

Look at perfume strength. Pure perfume has a stronger scent but doesn't last as long as an eau de toilette in the same fragrance. If you are looking for a longer shelf life, choose the milder version of your scent and you will get more mileage out of it. It will cost less than pure perfume.
Step 2

Read the contents on the perfume box. See what percentage of alcohol content the perfume contains. The more alcohol, the longer the shelf life. Alcohol acts as a preservative.
Step 3

Keep a lid on your perfume. If transferring to a vaporizer type bottle, be sure that the lid is screwed on tightly. While alcohol is a great preservative, it evaporates easily, as well.
Step 4

Go for the blue. Perfumes that are in bottles that are either opaque, or blue in color, tend to last longer scent-wise than a perfume that's in a clear bottle.
Step 5

Realize that natural ingredients do not last as long as synthetic ones. Preservatives are added in with the synthetic scents to increase the staying power of the perfume.
Step 6

Frolic in the woods. Fans of woodsy scents are in luck. These scents last longer than citrus scents, which will evaporate faster.

Tips & Warnings

Remember to keep the perfume tightly closed because alcohol evaporates. This causes the perfume scent in the bottle to change and the smell will let you, and others, know that the perfume has gone bad.
Its is very obvious when a perfume is no longer wearable, or has gone bad. The scent will no longer smell the same and liquid appears darker in the bottle. Again, scent and color are the two factors in the shelf life of a perfume. If you follow the above tips, your perfume should last three to five years.

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