# Perfume - how long does it keep ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 14, 2005, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfume-how-long-does-it-keep/335603 "2005-12-14T17:27:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cat\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/96bed5/32.png) [@Cat\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Jones)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfume-how-long-does-it-keep/335603/1 "2005-12-14T17:27:48Z")
Average modern perfumes, how long do they keep ? A year, more less ? ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfume-how-long-does-it-keep/335603/2 "2005-12-14T17:52:27Z")
They do lose their potency over time… but I would think it would take much longer than a year… assuming the bottle is more or less sealed (otherwise the alcohol will evaporate). ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfume-how-long-does-it-keep/335603/3 "2005-12-14T18:02:26Z")
Huh, I always thought they got stronger over time. My mother had a 20 year old bottle of Poison sitting in her medicine cabinet. I opened it one day and man, that stuff was _potent_. I don’t know anything about evaporation rates though; I just assumed all the water had evaporated leaving behind nothing but scented alcohol. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfume-how-long-does-it-keep/335603/4 "2005-12-14T18:09:04Z")
After about 3 years, most fragrances start to get sort of funky, and not in a good way. Lotions even less time. If you keep it in a cool dry place they could last longer. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/96bed5/32.png) [@Cat\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Jones)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfume-how-long-does-it-keep/335603/5 "2005-12-15T13:12:20Z")
OK - cool thanks, I have some Flower by Kenzo which I’m getting through very slowly (ie less than half a bottle used in a year) and I don’t want it to go to waste. ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfume-how-long-does-it-keep/335603/6 "2005-12-15T13:15:15Z")
> [@alice\_in\_wonderland](#): > > After about 3 years, most fragrances start to get sort of funky, and not in a good way. I concur. I used to work at the Body Shop (apparently one of the only straight males ever to do so), and our product guide said that everything had a shelf life of 3 years, mainly due to the volatility of the perfume oils therein. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/96bed5/32.png) [@Cat\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Jones)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfume-how-long-does-it-keep/335603/7 "2005-12-15T13:21:35Z")
That would be except the sun creams which need replacing every year tho’ right 😉 ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfume-how-long-does-it-keep/335603/8 "2005-12-15T13:37:39Z")
> [@Cat Jones](#): > > That would be except the sun creams which need replacing every year tho’ right 😉 Indeed. Although they always seem to completely revamp their sun-care line every year, so it wasn’t much of an issue as a clerk. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfume-how-long-does-it-keep/335603/9 "2005-12-15T14:44:08Z")
I don’t know the exact timeframes but I would say 3 years would be on the outside. Evaporation isn’t the only issue; oils become rancid over time. Other chemicals break down. Even if a scent is still “potent” it doesn’t mean it smells like it did on the day it was bottled. ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfume-how-long-does-it-keep/335603/10 "2005-12-15T15:40:39Z")
> [@TellMeI'mNotCrazy](#): > > Huh, I always thought they got stronger over time. My mother had a 20 year old bottle of Poison sitting in her medicine cabinet. I opened it one day and man, that stuff was _potent_. I don’t know anything about evaporation rates though; I just assumed all the water had evaporated leaving behind nothing but scented alcohol. Wouldn’t the alcohol evaporate fastest leaving most of the water behind?