It’s not just the food in your kitchen pantry that has a used-by date. Did you realise everything in your bathroom is also living on borrowed time? The life of a mascara shouldn’t stretch beyond three months and your face cream should be in use for two years max.
Ok, so most of us top-up our stash before that used-by date arrives but when it comes to perfume, sometimes it’s not so easy to say goodbye.
Perfumes have a shelf life of about 18 months before they officially reach their used-by date. But this shortens significantly if the bottle is exposed to direct sunlight or kept in your bathroom cabinet where it’s regularly exposed to heat and steam.
Beyond that, the fragrance itself could begin to smell funny and could even start to change colour. And before you think, “oh mine still smells ok”, keep in mind that expired perfume isn’t great for your skin and could cause skin irritations and reactions – nasty!
So what if you’re not ready to say goodbye just yet? Easy, use your favourite fragrance to scent stationery, your underwear drawer or you could even use a few drops in the bath.
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Go on, ‘fess up – how long do you keep your perfumes for?
I had one for 15 years and smelled like new. Old classics were of such a great quality
I regret tossing a few old perfumes. Used to have bad allergy to all synthetic fragrances, not not any more. So had to buy them again haha
I’m sure I have some fragrances that are past their expiry date.