Perfumes and their care

Shahnaz Husain *

Are you someone who loves to buy perfumes every now and then ? Scents elicit emotions and offer a sense of comfort.

Entering a room with your signature fragrance is the best feeling. But how long will the new fragrance last ? We like to smell nice all day long, but sometimes it can feel like your fragrance has faded away by lunch time while you have spent a pretty penny on it.

It’s all about knowing where and how to apply fragrance, so it retains its quality. If you know how to make the most out of your perfume, you won’t waste as much as well.

Picking a scent for one occasion, another for that moment, or this perfume to commemorate this moment, having loads of them lined up for each day, the biggest problem that any perfume user faces is storing them properly. Perfume is a very delicate composition, which can be damaged, ultimately affecting the fragrance and its longevity.

Perfumes not only dilute and lose their flavorful allure over time but discoloration and degradation can lead to bad-smelling perfume.

If stored incorrectly, perfume can start to go bad after a few months. So, what are the best ways to store your fragrance and keep it fresh ?

Most of us prefer vanity tables, bathrooms, or cars to keep our perfume bottles. But these are not ideal for storage and can significantly reduce the potency of your scent over time.

The best way to keep perfume fresh for as long as possible is to hide it away — seriously. Dark, dry places are the best go-to’s for fragrance storage. The catacombs of a closet or a dark box are ideal for storing a brand-new bottle of perfume.

The way we store our perfumes has an impact on how long they last. It is said that a dark, cool, and dry place would be the best. However, very often, we keep our perfumes on our dressing table, or in the bathroom, so that they are convenient to use.

Your fragrances should be kept away from direct sunlight, due to exposure to ultraviolet rays. Therefore, they are best kept in drawers, away from light. Excessive heat can also break down the chemical bonds in perfumes.

Therefore, in hot weather, you can even keep your colognes in your refrigerator. However, concentrated perfumes should not be kept in the fridge or in very hot places, as extremes of temperature can harm the delicate blends of perfumes.

To select the right perfume, one needs to know a few facts. Body chemistry is important, as the effect may depend on individual body odour. That is why it is best to try out the perfume on one’s own skin. The exact fragrance of a perfume is apparent only when it comes in contact with the skin.

Climate also plays a part in choosing the right perfume. In hot and humid conditions, it is better to go for light and fresh fragrances, rather than heavy ones. The effect of perfumes intensifies in hot and humid weather. A heavy perfume can be quite overpowering. In fact, some perfumes can even trigger off a headache in some individuals.

In cold and dry weather, a heavier scent can be used. Lemon, rose, lavender or sandalwood are light and refreshing during hot weather. The time of day also matters. Go for light fragrances in the morning and heavier ones for the night.

Colognes and Toilet waters can be used during summer and be added to bath water. You can be generous with the use of colognes, even splashing them on.

Colognes and Eau de Toilette constitute mainly of water, or a mixture of alcohol and water, with only 2 to 5 % perfume. They are lighter and the fragrance evaporates, leaving a light lingering fragrance. But, when it comes to perfumes, they should be used sparingly.

Apply just a drop or two of perfume on the pulse points. These are at the temple, the wrists, the crook of your arm (in front of the elbow), beneath the neck, behind the knees.

Apply perfumes before wearing your clothes, as they can linger on clothes and mix with other colognes or perfumes. If you have an oily skin, colognes are much more suitable.

Avoid using perfumes if you are going to be out in the sun for a long time. Some perfumes may be photosensitizing, leading to a reaction on the skin, like a rash, or blotches.