How to store perfume: light, heat, the bathroom, the fridge and travel

What damages perfume

Five things work against a bottle: light, heat, sudden temperature changes, humidity and air. Wikipedia's entry on perfume says the fragrance compounds break down when they meet heat, light and oxygen. Diptyque asks you to keep the bottle tightly closed, cool and dry, and shielded from direct light and climate swings. Initio calls heat, air and light the classic enemies of perfume and suggests room temperature, 25 °C, away from damp and sun.

Not every scent suffers equally. Creed's guide to expiration says perfumes with a heavy base are less sensitive to oxidation, so a leather or amber scent tends to last longer. Light top notes, such as zesty citrus or sweet florals, resist it less. The bright, sparkling bottles on your shelf are the ones to look after first.

This page is about where to keep a bottle. For how long a perfume lasts and how to tell it has turned, read does perfume expire.

Where to store perfume, room by room

The windowsill or a sunny dressing table

A bottle on display looks good, but it sits in the light. Memo Paris says display exposes bottles to light and temperature changes, and advises against spots near windows, radiators or heating vents. Creed adds that some notes in its perfumes are photosensitive and can change colour over a long period of direct light. If the liquid in a bottle changes colour, move it somewhere darker.

Can you keep perfume in the bathroom?

It is the handiest spot, next to the mirror, and the houses say no. Creed advises against both the bathroom and the car. Memo Paris asks you not to leave bottles on the bathroom counter, because moisture and temperature changes lead to early degradation. Mugler names the bathroom as a room with harsh temperature swings. Every hot shower brings steam and a jump in temperature.

A bedroom drawer or a wardrobe shelf

This is the answer the houses give. Creed recommends a bedroom drawer, or a shelf in a wardrobe, in a room with a stable temperature. Memo Paris suggests a closet or drawer. It costs nothing and it is close to where you get dressed.

The car

Creed's FAQ says plainly not to store perfume in a car, and its guide to expiration counts the glove compartment among the hot places that can damage a formula. If a bottle rides with you, take it out when you park.

Should you keep perfume in the fridge?

The advice is split, which is useful. Wikipedia says perfume keeps best in its original packaging, away from light and chilled to between 3 and 7 °C. Frédéric Malle takes the opposite line for a bottle you use: answering in the house's FAQ, he does not recommend the fridge unless you will leave the perfume untouched for a very long time. Creed notes that taking a bottle out of the fridge each time you apply it can distort the scent. Memo Paris says a fridge can help, but only one with no food odours and a constant temperature, and that taking the bottle in and out often does harm.

For the bottle you wear, a cool drawer does the job with none of the fuss. Save the fridge for a bottle you will not open for a long while.

The box, the cap and the spray

Keep the box. Byredo asks you to store its perfume in the original box, and Memo Paris says the box adds a layer of protection against air and light. Creed adds that the box cuts the bottle's exposure to sunlight.

Put the cap back on straight away. Closed bottles let in less air, and Initio, Diptyque and Memo Paris all ask for a tightly closed or securely capped bottle. Memo Paris adds that bottles should stand upright so the liquid does not sit against the cap.

A spray is the kinder format. Wikipedia notes that a spray dispenser exposes less perfume to oxygen than a roller or an open bottle, and keeps dust and skin away from the liquid. Do not shake the bottle either: Mugler says shaking makes the scent degrade faster.

Citrus perfumes need the most care

These four open on citrus, so they are the ones to keep in the dark and finish while they are fresh. A half-empty bottle holds more air, and Creed suggests using up the last of a scent faster. None of this means a bottle will turn quickly. It means a drawer is a good habit for a bright perfume.

Silver Mountain Water by Creed

Silver Mountain Water by Creed starts with bergamot and mandarin orange. Green tea and black currant form the middle, and musk, sandalwood, galbanum and petitgrain close it. It reads cool and green. This unisex niche perfume dates from 1995. For both longevity and sillage, most community voters say moderate. Voters choose it mostly for summer, spring and day wear.

Petit Matin by Maison Francis Kurkdjian

Petit Matin by Maison Francis Kurkdjian starts with lemon, litsea cubeba and bergamot. Rose, orange blossom and magnolia follow, over white musk, cedar and musk. The effect is clean and airy. It launched in 2016. Most community voters call its longevity long lasting. On sillage, the majority vote is strong. Voters wear it in summer and spring, by day and at the office.

Aqua Allegoria Pera Granita by Guerlain

Aqua Allegoria Pera Granita by Guerlain pairs grapefruit, lemon and bergamot with hedione, pear, orange blossom and osmanthus, then cedar, moss and white musk. It smells like juicy fruit over a soft floral. Votes on longevity lean moderate, then weak. Votes on sillage lean moderate, then intimate. Voters pick it for summer, spring and daytime.

Sedley by Parfums de Marly

Sedley by Parfums de Marly opens with mint, bergamot, mandarin orange, lemon and grapefruit. Olibanum, lavender, rosemary and geranium sit in the heart, with ambroxan, cedar, vetiver, patchouli and cashmeran at the base. It is a fresh men's perfume from 2019. Its longevity and its sillage both draw a moderate vote from most community voters. Voters link it to summer, spring and day wear.

Leather and amber perfumes age more slowly

Creed says heavy base notes like oud and musk resist oxidation better, which is why leather and amber scents tend to last longer. They still like a drawer, but they forgive more. We cannot promise any bottle a number of years.

African Leather by Memo Paris

African Leather by Memo Paris opens with cardamom, geranium and pink pepper. Rose, cinnamon and patchouli follow, then amber, leather and agarwood (oud). It is warm, spicy and dark, a men's niche perfume from 2015. Most community voters rate its longevity long lasting. Votes on its sillage lean moderate, then strong. Voters choose it for winter, fall and evenings out.

Oud Essentiel by Guerlain

Oud Essentiel by Guerlain pairs rose and saffron with oud, over patchouli, leather and amber. It is a rich, smoky evening perfume from 2024. Votes on its longevity lean eternal, then long lasting. Most community voters rate its sillage strong. Voters associate it with winter nights.

Portrait of a Lady by Frederic Malle

Portrait of a Lady by Frederic Malle opens with clove, raspberry, black currant, cinnamon and red berries, then a Turkish rose heart with incense, patchouli, sandalwood and ylang-ylang. Under it sit musk, benzoin, amber, cedar, ambergris and vanilla. It is dark, spiced and full. Votes on its longevity lean eternal, then long lasting. Votes on its sillage lean strong, then enormous. Winter evenings are when voters reach for it.

Decants and travel

Byredo suggests a travel spray or a decant, with a soft cloth around the bottle. Memo Paris asks that a travel bottle be clean and airtight. When you fly from an EU airport, the European Commission allows liquids in your hand luggage in containers of up to 100ml, packed in one transparent resealable bag of up to 1 litre, and perfume counts as a liquid. A decant fits that rule easily. Our travel perfume guide covers the formats.

We fill every atomiser by hand from the house's bottle, add nothing, then seal and label it with the perfume's name and size. About our decants explains how, and what a perfume decant is covers the idea. A 3ml decant gives around 60 sprays and a 10ml decant around 200, so either is used up long before it sits half-empty for years.

If you want a perfume to last on your skin, read how to make perfume last longer.

Try a bright perfume in a small size

Bright perfumes are the ones that gain most from being finished fresh. A 3ml of Silver Mountain Water is €12.24, and the 10ml decant of Petit Matin is €40.23. Wear one for a week, keep it in the drawer with the cap on, and you will know if it is a bottle for you. Not sure how long a decant lasts? See how long a 10ml decant lasts.