How to Store a Fragrance

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If you have a favorite fragrance and you wish for it to last longer and stay as strong as it is now, you must store it properly. It's also a good way to get the most out of your higher-priced fragrances.

Things You'll Need

• A secure lid or top for the fragrance

Instructions

How to Store a Fragrance

1. Start by making sure the lid is secure after every use. This not only prevents spilling but also keeps the fragrance from evaporating and losing its scent.

2. Find a location that is not near heat or cold. Drastic changes in the temperature of a fragrance can upset the balance of its ingredients and change its scent--including bad changes such as spoiling.

3. Find a dark location such as a drawer, a dark closet or a medicine cabinet (the latter as long as the room doesn't frequently become hot from baths and showers). Fragrances should not be in the light all the time, especially direct light. Light can also change the balance of the chemicals that make up the fragrance.If you want to leave the fragrance out in the open so that you remember to wear it, remember to keep it away from windows and light. Store it in the darkest room possible.

4. Avoid direct exposure to air, which can alter or upset the chemistry of the fragrance over time. This is one reason that fragrances that must be open to apply (those that must be splashed on) aren't as good as their spray counterparts. If you have a fragrance that you love and it must be splashed on, you may want to consider removing some of it into a smaller decanter. Then you could place an atomizer on it if you use it regularly. An atomizer can make applying easier, too.

5. Clean any bottle stopper you use. If you use a fragrance that comes with an application tool (sometimes called a bottle stopper), you should clean this tool each time you use it. This will help keep any impurities out of your fragrance.You can use a clean, lint-free cloth to wipe it. Then place the stopper back into the bottle, making sure it is securely closed.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember the elements that can most harm a fragance: temperatures that are too cold or too hot, direct sunlight and overexposure to air.

• Many people believe that storing their fragrances in their refrigerator will make them last longer. But cold air can change the chemistry of perfume or even spoil it.