"A simple little tip my mother gave me years ago was
to keep my perfume in the refrigerator. This will help
keep it fresh much longer."  --perfume.org reader

Yes, it's important that you keep your fragrances in
cool, dry spaces, but we wanted to know if storing
fragrances in the refrigerator is actually a good idea.

"I store my perfumes in the refrigerator. The heavier ones for winter are in the fridge in the summer and vice versa for the summer fragrances in the fridge during winter time."  

These are just a few of the many fragrance tips submitted by perfume.org readers.

Taking proper care of our beauty products is essential. Like food, does your fragrance have a shelf life? Absolutely. But should they be stored in the refrigerator?

Following are some varying opinions from around the Web:

According to Oprah.com, "The ingredients break down with time and exposure to light (natural or artificial) and heat, so if you want a perfume to remain fresh, store it in the fridge."

From thegloss.com: "Keep essential oil perfumes in the refrigerator to slow oxidization (but this depends on the carrier – oil or wax-based scents can go bad faster than alcohol based ones)."

From Scentzilla.com: "You CAN keep fragrances in your refrigerator if desired. It’s certainly not unheard of, and the cold helps preserve them while not reaching chilly enough temperatures that might destroy your stuff."

Theknot.com: "For a quick pick-me-up, keep fragrances in the refrigerator. Perfumes should not be exposed to extreme cold or heat, though -- adverse temperatures may change how a scent smells."

In the end we decided to check with the Fragrance Foundation. Afterall, it is the premier resource for expert fragrance information. Here is what they had to say:

"It's important that you keep your fragrance protected against extreme cold or heat. Only colognes and toilet waters should be stored in the refrigerator. Perfumes should not be exposed to extreme cold or heat because either may upset their delicate balance. Notes can be affected by extreme temperatures."

So, if not the refrigerator, where should you store your fragrances?

Do store fragrances in cool, dry spaces away from sunlight:
>Cupboards
>Dresser drawers
>Dark closets

Don't store fragrances in:
>Bathrooms (generally moist and warm)
>Windowsills
>Direct sunlight

Hope this helps!

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