Unopened bottles stored in a cool, dark, dry place can last for years (anywhere from a couple of years to a couple of decades), depending on the perfume and storage conditions. Be careful with “vintage”, as the high notes are often erased when you receive it, Long says. As a general rule, the expiry date of the perfume is three years from the date of manufacture. The shelf life of a perfume will be reduced if it is left exposed to direct sunlight or if it is not properly stored.
Another indicator to consider is odor. If the fragrance changes in any way, it's a sign that the perfume should not be used. Technically, the perfume doesn't expire, but it does spoil. The average expiry date of a perfume is three to five years from the time it was manufactured.
However, many reputable brands, such as Dior and Paco Rabanne, do not have a set expiration date. As a result, some colognes and perfumes can start to expire a year after purchase, while others can last up to 10 years. This is equivalent to 30 million or 36 million euros, that is, between 2.5 and 3 years. Of course, as we've read before, this doesn't mean that the perfume is definitely bad after 3 years.
Collectors appreciate vintage perfumes, but this is not due to the fragrance found inside them, since, over time, all perfumes tend to lose their smell and no longer “look”. Although the exact expiration date of perfume varies depending on the structure, perfumes can generally last between 3 and 5 years, while with proper care, some brands can last up to a decade. Perfumes must be able to breathe, so an airtight container will cause the perfume to deteriorate faster. The key to extending the lifespan of a perfume is to store it in a cool, dark place, away from direct sunlight or heat, as they can cause the perfume to break down and lose its scent.
Perfumes start to deteriorate quickly, but if you want to know how long unopened perfumes last, you might be surprised to learn that they can last for decades. While it's true that some perfume ingredients can degrade over time, this doesn't mean that the perfume itself is spoiled. Heat easily breaks down the chemical structure of perfumes and helps perfumes and colognes lose their fragrance more quickly. In this blog post, we'll talk about what causes perfumes to expire and how to know if your perfumes are out of date.
As you already know, unfortunately, the expiry of the perfume is inevitable, which raises the question of what to do once you are sure that your perfume is not good. Perfumes usually come with the label “Period After Opening”, known as PAO, which represents the number of months a perfume can last after its initial opening.
