Does Perfume Go Out of Date? Understanding Perfume Expiration

You love to mix things up with your scent and go between perfumes, but there’s that one fragrance you’ve been holding onto for years. It’s your go-to special occasion perfume - the one that your significant other knows he’ll smell on anniversaries, birthdays, and other intimate get-togethers.

But have you ever worried about the expiration date? How can you tell if a perfume has gone bad? Does perfume expire if unopened?

All of these questions and more can be answered below.

Is there an expiration date on perfumes?

Unfortunately, every bottle of opened perfume does have its own expiration date. In most cases, your perfume can last up to four or five years, but each brand is different. Check the label of your perfume for an idea of its shelf life.

Keep this in mind: Even if you use your bottle of perfume regularly and it doesn’t make it to the expiration date, you may still notice a difference in the way your scent smells over time. This is thanks to oxidation.

Oxidation occurs when oxygen comes in contact with your perfume - if too much oxygen enters the bottle, it can alter the molecules of the fragrance which can ultimately impact its composition. This can make your perfume scent change.

If you’re worried about the integrity of your fragrances, use this perfume expiry date calculator to get a better idea of its shelf life.

Does perfume expire if it’s unopened?

Expiration dates don’t normally go into effect until you open your bottle of perfume. That means that your perfume will eventually expire, but until it’s opened, it’s fine. If you’re worried about wasting bottles of perfume by using more than one fragrance at a time, try to only keep one bottle open and wait to touch the unopened bottle until you’re finished with the first.

How long does perfume last on clothes?

Generally, when you spray perfume on clothes, it’ll last about 24 hours. This means you can make a single bottle of perfume last a fairly long time - just be conscious of the shelf life and you won’t have to worry about it becoming expired before you can finish it.

Find your next favorite scent at Surrender to Chance

Are you worried about wearing multiple fragrances at a time and ultimately wasting them before they reach their expiration date? At Surrender to Chance, we make it simple and seamless to wear different perfumes in a short period of time with our sampler sets.

From iconic women’s perfumes to fragrances reminiscent of walking through the forest, we have a sampler set for everyone.

Browse our sampler sets and grab your new perfumes today.