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Perfume and the Saudi Heat: How to Store Your Bottle So It Lasts for Years

Heat, light and air are the three things that ruin a fragrance. A few simple habits keep your bottle smelling the way it did on day one.

A good perfume is built to last for years. Most bottles that go off early were not badly made. They were badly stored. In a climate like ours, that matters more than anywhere.

The three enemies

Heat: it speeds up the breakdown of the aromatic molecules. A parked car is the worst place a bottle can be.
Light: direct sunlight changes both the colour and the scent. That is what the box is for.
Air: every spray lets a little oxygen in, so a half-empty bottle changes faster than a full one.

Where to keep your bottle

In a closed drawer or wardrobe, in an air-conditioned room.
Inside its original box.
Upright, with the cap on.

Where not to keep it

The car: even for an afternoon.
The bathroom: the swings in heat and humidity are hard on a fragrance.
A sunny shelf or dressing table: it looks beautiful and shortens the life of the bottle.

Should you keep perfume in the fridge?

You do not need to. A normal air-conditioned room is cool enough. A kitchen fridge brings food smells and a door that opens all day. If you do want to chill your collection, use a small dedicated fridge at a steady temperature.

Good to know: a well-stored perfume usually stays good for several years. The signs that it has turned are a darker colour, a sour or metallic opening, and a weaker scent.

Travelling in summer

Keep your fragrance in your hand luggage or carry a small travel spray, and never leave it in a parked car.

Why we ship chilled

The riskiest hours in a bottle's life can be the ones it spends in a delivery van. That is why Perfumes For Less ships chilled: your fragrance arrives the way it left the agent's shelf.

Browse summer fragrances