Temperature is one of the largest influences on a fragrance. Extreme warmth and extreme cold are not good for the longevity and performance of a fragrance. But what is the best temperature to store your fragrances?
What is the best temperature to store your fragrances? Extreme heat or extreme cold can severely affect the fragrance and its composition, thus, you can best store them in a place that’s room temperature. Additionally, a dark and cool place is even better, as not only temperature but also light can affect a fragrance.
A fragrance going bad or expiring is the last thing you want. What once smelled great now stinks and is unusable. Luckily, you can prevent fragrances from going bad, or at least delay it for a long while, as long as you store your fragrances correctly. In this article, we’ll go a little deeper into the best temperatures in which you can store your fragrances!
The Ideal Temperature For Fragrances
Storing your fragrances at the optimal temperature will greatly improve its lifetime. Ideally, your fragrance should be stored in a room temperature setting. This will preserve the scent of your fragrance, and keep it in the best possible condition. Room temperature can have a wide range. But generally, you should keep your fragrance in climates from 55-72 degrees Fahrenheit or 12-22 degrees Celsius. In short, more moderate temperatures are best!
In addition, make sure the temperature of the storing space is constant. You don’t want the temperature of your perfume to fluctuate by many degrees. It should not be in a place that is cold one minute and then hot the next. So do not place your fragrance near a temperature controlling device. You also want to keep it away from places where natural light can hit it. We’ll talk more about this in the next section though.
Furthermore, consider keeping your fragrances indoors. You should not leave your fragrances in outdoor locations. Temperature is not as controllable outside as it is inside. So your perfume can more easily degrade. This can seem like a no brainer, but some people leave their perfumes in their car. Cars are one of the worst places to leave fragrances. Automobiles frequently change temperatures and can get extremely hot. Heat is not good for your perfume, as it not only evaporates the juice, but it also damages and breaks down the scented oils!
If you do want to keep a fragrance in your car, I’d recommend you go with a little sample or decant. These are smaller bottles that you can easily store away and, if they do go bad, only a little bit goes bad. This way, you’re not losing a full bottle worth of fragrance! If you’d like to read more about fragrance decants, you can check out this article I wrote here!
What About Putting Your Fragrance In The Fridge?
Heat is bad for perfumes, but what about colder climates? Some fragrance buyers like to put their perfumes in the fridge. In fact, some people swear that a fridge will extend the life of their fragrance. However, this might not be the best storage solution.
For colognes, this might be an okay practice. But, most products with essential oils and perfume products, in general, will not last longer in colder climates. It is true that you want to keep fragrances out of the heat. But this does not mean that the coldness of a refrigerator is any better.
Really, extreme climates, whether cold or hot, are not the best for storage of fragrances. If your fridge is not extremely cold, it might be okay to put a fragrance in. Still, you are probably better off keeping your perfumes in a different location.
How Does Heat And Direct Sunlight Affect Fragrances?
Direct sunlight is never good for your perfumes. The heat from the sun can seem harmless, but it actually breaks down the chemical composition of fragrance products. This causes them to lose their potency faster and results in a weaker smelling perfume. In addition, intense heat can affect the packaging of perfumes. The bottle your fragrance is stored in can melt from heat sources. This further degrades the perfume.
This does not mean your bottle completely melts away, but small, unnoticeable bits of the bottle can melt away and end up blending with the juice inside. This dilutes the juice, making it less potent.
Some fragrance companies package their bottles with more sturdy material though. So you want to be on the lookout for darker colored bottles made of glass. The dark glass of these bottles actually softens the blow of direct sunlight, making them less vulnerable to the sun.
Typically, this type of packing will preserve your fragrance for longer periods of time and won’t melt. Still, you never want to put your fragrance in direct sunlight or heat, even if they are stored in more durable material.
So How Should You Store Your Fragrances?
With the weather changing, you want to keep your fragrances in good condition. Even if you keep your perfumes out of direct sunlight or heat, you want to store them in room temperature conditions. Preferably you want them to be in an area that is dark and cool.
Many people end up putting their perfumes in their bathroom. But this is not an ideal spot to place your fragrances. Your bathroom can be cool and dark at times, especially in a cupboard. But when you turn on your shower, you add extra humidity to this area of your home. Steam can fill up your bathroom and it will reach your perfume. Over time this degrades your fragrances. You want to prevent this at all costs.
A bathroom is a convenient place to put your perfumes, but it is not the best location to keep them. Especially if you want them to last a long time. Room temperature is the best of course, but a slightly cooler temperature won’t hurt your fragrance. A cupboard in your room or a makeup draw can be a great location. Some people also like to keep their fragrances inside the box it came in. This adds another layer of protection. However, it can become a bit frustrating having to open a box every time you want to use a fragrance.
You should also make sure to keep your fragrance bottle in an upright position. When a fragrance is on its side, there’s a larger surface of the juice exposed to air. Even though this is a little nitpicky, a larges surface exposed to air means a slightly faster evaporation process. Keeping them upright greatly reduces the exposed surface.
And consider getting a storage bin for your perfumes as well. A sturdy container will keep them safe from harm, as the sunlight won’t reach them and the temperatures will be fairly constant. Just don’t put your box on a high shelf. And never take the liquid out of the original bottle. When you take the liquid out of its bottle it is exposed to oxygen. This will dilute the scent. You want the scent to last so keep it sealed when you aren’t using it!
Overall, you want to keep your scents in a room temperature area where the climate stays the same. You are better storing your products in a dark area without much heat or humidity. We mentioned the bathroom as a bad area to put your fragrances, but the kitchen should also be avoided. Cold temperatures from your fridge are not the only problem in this area of your home. When you cook a meal, the climate rises and creates humidity. This is bad for the longevity of your perfumes.
In the end, you’re best off storing your fragrance in a cool and dark place. Something like a draw or container is great, as it will regulate the temperature and block out sunlight.