There’s nothing like completing your carefully planned outfit with a few strategic sprays of your favorite body spray. We all love to stock up when they’re on sale, but this can lead to body spray sitting on a shelf for months or years. You’re bound to wonder does body spray go bad? We’ve got the answers you’re looking for.
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Does Body Spray Go Bad
Like the rest of the items near your vanity, body spray can go bad and has a shorter shelf life once opened. Most experts agree that the average shelf life of body sprays is 3-5 years.
There are reports that Victoria’s Secret Body Sprays have gone bad in one year. Others claim they have had the same body spray for multiple years, and the body spray has not changed. Unfortunately, there is no set rule like there is for most other things.
How To Tell If Your Body Spray Is Expired
While there might not be a hard and fast rule for when to toss your beloved body spray, there are a few telltale signs that you need to watch out for. Keep a close eye on perfumes for these signs. If you notice any of them, it’s time to replace them.
It Smells Differently
As the ingredients break down, you’ll notice that your perfume smells different. This is a similar thing that happens when lipstick goes bad. Most of the time, it’s a rather unpleasant smell. Your body spray may begin to smell sour when it starts to go bad, or just a little off. A difference in smell means that you need to replace it.
The Color May Change
If you started with one color and notice that you now have a different color, it could be because your body spray has gone bad. The color change is due to the molecules in the body spray breaking down, which happens when you have expired body spray on your hands.
Expired Body Spray May Evaporate
When your body spray has a high content of alcohol, it might begin to evaporate. If you notice that your bottle is slowly looking as though it has less and less perfume, even though you haven’t been using it, it’s a sign that the alcohol is evaporating. Then, the bottle will have fewer preservatives, and your perfume will go bad rather quickly.
How To Store Perfume So It Lasts Longer
Several factors contribute to how soon your body spray goes bad. Certain ingredients will expire before others, for example. One major factor is how it’s stored.
When a body spray or perfume is stored correctly, you can get as much as five years out of your fragrance. On the other hand, there are reports of people getting significantly longer than that out of their body sprays because they were stored a certain way.
At The House
Keeping fragrances and body sprays in your purse decreases their shelf life. This is particularly common in roller balls and travel-size body sprays meant to be on the go with you.
Body sprays stored in your bag tend to expire soon because they are consistently exposed to environmental changes in your purse, such as going outside on a cold day or in hot, humid environments during warmer months.
Store In A Dark Place
Sunlight and man-made light can slowly impact the DNA of your favorite fragrances. To prolong the life of your body spray, ensure it is exposed to the least amount of light possible.
Keep The Bottle Closed
As soon as you open that beautiful perfume bottle, oxygen slowly enters the bottle. This leads to the scent oxidizing, which can make your body spray go bad over time. Avoid opening perfumes and body sprays until you’re ready to use them. After that, keep the cap on them to help oxidation happen later instead of sooner.
Low Humidity
Perfumes and body sprays don’t hold up as well in humid environments. Like the rest of your beauty products, they must be stored in a dry climate. That means not keeping them in the bathroom, basement, attic, or other areas with high humidity. If your house has high humidity levels, store your fragrances in a box that is not used for additional protection.
Keep It In The Box
While it might seem like nothing more than a cardboard box, that little box is a great way to ensure light doesn’t hit your perfume bottle. This is a great way to store or stack perfume bottles on your dresser.
Avoid Temperature Fluctuations
It’s common to store perfume and body spray in the bathroom. Many people toss them into their purses to take them, so they always smell good. These are easy ways to make your body spray expire sooner.
The constant temperature fluctuations aren’t suitable for any beauty product, including a fragrance. Instead, keep it stored in an area with a more stable temperature.
Use The Bottom Shelf
When storing your perfume, use it on the lowest shelf possible. This applies to storing it in the closet, bedroom, etc. When your body spray is stored on a lower shelf, it’s less likely to be exposed to as much light.
It’s important to remember that heat rises, resulting in more temperature fluctuations on higher shelves and making the bottom portion of a room colder, which is ideal for body sprays.
Does The Type Of Fragrance Matter?
When it comes to price, most people swear that luxury items are overpriced and pointless to buy. However, there are quite a few differences, especially concerning perfumes.
Luxurious fragrances are often made with more oils, which helps the scent last longer when worn. This also means that fragrances have a lower alcohol content. Overall, more oils and less alcohol will help the fragrance last longer.
Can You Use Expired Body Spray
You can, but you shouldn’t. First, the smell will change. You don’t want to smell like vinegar or something horrible all day. Second, you can wind up with irritated skin. Instead, toss expired body sprays and rotate your stock.
If you’re concerned that yours has gone wrong, pick up some new body spray instead of risking it.
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