The Perfume Storage Mistake You Need To Stop Making, According To An Expert

Jan 30, 2024

Getty Images / Kristina Strasunske

My grandmother always kept her perfume on her vanity. She would sit at the mirror in her silk dressing gown and spritz herself twice with Paco Rabanne Calandre, lightly dabbing the scent on her pulse points, before fixing her hair and makeup. I always loved her ritual, but living in a small apartment meant I didn't have room for a vanity so my perfume was relegated to a shelf in the bathroom.When my grandmother came to visit, she scolded me saying it would ruin the scent. An informal poll of friends proved that I was definitely not the only person to keep perfume in the bathroom. It's convenient for fixing your hair and face and adding a little spritz as you head out the door, but was it the wrong place to store it?

Meet The Expert

Anne Serrano-McClain, who studied natural perfumery and aromatherapy, formulates original fragrances for MCMC Fragrances, which she owns with her sister.

To find the answer, I turned to an expert: Anne Serrano-McClain, who studied natural perfumery and aromatherapy before moving to Grasse, the famed perfume capital of France. There she embarked on an intensive study into the history, techniques, and practices of modern perfumery. Back in the States, she teamed up with her sister, Katie McClain, to launch MCMC Fragrances where they make small-batch fragrances, including one called Sisters. So she knows a thing or two about how to make perfume last and there's one very common mistake that many people (namely, me) make when it comes to storing their favorite fragrance.

"You would not want to store perfume on a bathroom counter," explains Serrano-McClain. "The humidity from the shower or bath will oxidize the more delicate ingredients, like citruses and florals, and making the scent smell off or change color or both."

Even if you're not storing your perfume on the bathroom counter, you still may not be storing it in the best spot. Serrano-McClain recommends keeping perfume far from a hot, humid bathroom, but out on a vanity isn't the perfect spot to keep, either. "The ideal place for perfume is a dry, dark area," says Serrano-McClain. "Some people go so far as to store their perfume in the fridge for longevity, but that's not realistic for everyone. A closet or cabinet works just fine."

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