How to Properly Care For Your Fragrances
Posted by ModaLtdBeauty on
There are many misconceptions and underutilized techniques for properly caring for fragrances and effectively elongating their lifespan. When properly cared for, certain perfumes and colognes can last up to three years, providing greater value for your dollar and the ability to get creative with their scent. Preserve the shelf-life of your favorite fragrance by following these common care tips and tricks.
Steer Clear of These 3 Natural Elements
Temperature, sunlight and humidity can affect both the scent and packaging of a fragrance, causing premature expiration. Exposure to these natural elements can cause the scent of a perfume or cologne to fade and eventually disappear. Spray bottles rather than direct applicators such as rollers or wands, can keep a fragrance airtight and insulated from these three damaging elements.
Extreme Temperatures:
Whether the air temperature is way up or way down, any extreme weather condition can affect the vitality of your fragrance. Direct heat can cause your fragrance to expire faster and also mutilate the packaging. While indirect heat will not affect the packaging, it can still cause the potency of your fragrance to fade. Contrarily, but with similar side effects, chilled environments can also ruin your favorite perfume or cologne. This is especially true when your fragrance is exposed to fluctuating temperatures, such as being place in and out of a refrigerator or vehicle. Ensure your scents strength for the duration of its existence by choosing a temperate place to store the bottle.
Direct Sunlight:
Preserve the new fragrance aroma of your perfume or cologne by keeping the bottle out of direct sunlight. Exposure to even moderate sunlight can unfortunately have damaging effects on most fragrances. Unlike dark colored bottles that are often used for cologne rather than perfume, clear or light-colored bottles should be kept out of strong UV rays, as the glass will magnify the solution and breakdown the composition. Consider placing the bottle in a cabinet or dark corner of the room.
Harmful Humidity:
Ah, good old humidity,A destroyer of many beauty products and seemingly good hair days, humidity is one element that the beauty industry can do without. Humidity can cause fragrances and makeup to expire sooner than expected, as it destroys the molecular integrity of these products. Oftentimes, people are prone to storing beauty products in the bathroom, a place that while convenient, is ridden with temperature fluctuation and steam from hot showers. Avoid this element at all costs by storing such products in cabinets or drawers outside of the powder room.
Safeguard Your Scents Shelf Life-
Equally as important as protecting your fragrance from natures elements, is paying mind to safety and functional considerations. Keep these four tips in mind when handling your favorite fragrances.
Never Shake the Bottle:
To debunk another common myth it is actually counter intuitive to shake the bottle before applying. Shaking only adds air to the swirling solution, diluting the scent. It is best to keep the bottle steady while in storage and when applying.
Be Gentle, Most Bottles Are Fragile: Most fragrance bottles are comprised of delicate and sometimes intricate glasswork. While many people want to display the beautiful designs of their favorite fragrances, it is important to be cautious about how you handle and where you place your perfume or cologne bottles. Positioning them in a narrow medicine cabinet or on the edge of a top shelf, can be susceptible to shattering.
Spray, Don't Roll or Apply: Aforementioned, spray bottles can act as a barrier from the three natural elements that cause premature expiration. While some may consider spraying fragrances to be wasteful, this option is more sanitary for yourself and the product. Fragrances with applicators like roller balls or wands carry the risk of introducing bacteria and foreign oils into the bottle. Typically derived upon skin contact, these oils can infiltrate the bottle, damaging or altering the fragrance. Once reapplied to the skin, the combination of fragrance and fermented oils can be irritating to the skin. Due to such risks, misting fragrances are a safer route.
For those that prefer contact applicators however, disposable wands are available for one-time use and most can be washed prior to being placed back into the bottle. Remember these alternatives to protect your skin and fragrance from contamination.
Go With a Travel Size Bottle:
We understand the desire to bring your favorite fragrance with you on a trip, but traveling with a large, fragile bottle in your suitcase may not be the best idea. Don't risk broken glass and leaking aroma solutions in your suitcase. Instead, find a travel size version of your favorite fragrance or transfer some of it into a clean, empty travel size bottle. If you prefer to reapply your fragrance throughout the day, a travel size bottle in your purse or bag will allow you that convenience.
Understand the Life cycle of Specific Scents
When properly cared for, most fragrances last about two to three years. However, the actual scent solution of a fragrance is what ultimately affects it longevity; for example, fragrances with a higher concentration tend to last longer. To determine if your fragrance has expired, check if the color of the solution has become darker and most notable, if the scent itself has faded.
Citrus:
The amount and types of oils found in citrus-scented perfumes and colognes typically cause the fragrances to expire faster. With their fruity and refreshing notes, these fragrances are best when reapplied frequently or utilized for short-term occasions and events. Some good examples of citrus fragrances include:
Natural:
Natural perfumes and colognes with little to no preservatives have about the same lifespan as citrus scents. Preservatives allow for fragrances to last longer, so by removing a large portion of them from the solution, the product will fade. Some good examples of natural fragrances include:
Lacoste Eau De Lacoste Natural Eau De Toilette Spray for Women
Oriental:
Oriental scents last longer than natural and citrus fragrances. However, a change in color will become apparent due in part to the vanilla notes added to the solution. These intricate notes are popular for work
Floral and Wood:
Floral and wood scents last the longest out of all the fragrance categories. For those who do not wear perfume or cologne daily or are interested in a scent that lasts all day, these are the two types to consider. Good examples of floral and wood fragrances include:
Vera Wang Lovestruck Floral Rush
Create Your Own Scent by Layering
To get the most out of your favorite fragrance, try layering multiple scents to create your own aroma. To most, this idea sounds overbearing at first; when done correctly however you can avoid a smorgasbord of scents and create something truly unique and beautiful.
Step 1: Base Layer
This fragrance must be a strong and durable scent that tends to last all day. Suggestions include the floral and wood scents that have a strong concentration and the longest daily lifespan.
Step 2: Middle Layer
Next, apply to second fragrance over top the base layer. This layer will provide the flavor to the overall scent. Consider using fruity or green scents for this step.
Step 3: Final Layer
The last fragrance should be a light and wispy scent one that does not typically last long when applied alone. Suggestions include citrus and fresh scents.
Tip: Experiment with various combinations on pieces of test paper until you find your favorite fragrance.
Fragrances offer a variety of ways to express yourself and exercise your creativity. By properly caring for them, their longevity can be maximized and thus their uses multiplied.
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