This is the one place you shouldn't store your perfume—according to the experts

Knowing how to store perfume properly can help it last longer...

woman spraying perfume on wrist on a colorful pink and orange background
(Image credit: Getty)

Fragrance is expensive. So it's important to know how to store perfume properly to keep it in the best condition and help prolong its life to make the most out of your bucks. But we're all good, because, of course, TikTok has come to the rescue with an important PSA about perfume storage—in particular where we shouldn't be storing it...

If you're a lover of the best perfumes for women—whether that be the best vanilla perfumes or floral perfumes or even if you tend to opt for cruelty-free perfume—they pretty much all come in stunning bottles so, of course, you want to show them off. And while some choose to do that by having them carefully placed on a bedroom dresser, others may opt for aesthetically arranging them in the bathroom. However, according to TikTok user Emelia (aka @professorperfume), that's a major no-no in the fragrance world...

In her video, which has now wracked up over 5.2 million views, Emelia showed a plethora of artsy images of perfumes, beautifully displayed in bathrooms before asking viewers: "See anything wrong with these photos?"

Emelia then warns that the temperature changes—which are frequent in the bathroom—could be wreaking havoc on all the perfume notes in all your favorite smellies and making the perfume expire faster!

@professorperfume

♬ original sound - Emelia | Professor Perfume 🫧

She says: "If you keep your perfume in the bathroom when you shower, all of the steam, all of the constant temperature fluctuations are going to spoil your perfume a lot faster than if you store them correctly..."

Before adding, "When you store them correctly they will last you for years and years." 

But is it really that big of a deal? Actually yes—fragrance expert and head of marketing at The Fragrance Shop, Iember Gordon says: "Your fragrances may look pretty on your vanity or bathroom shelf, but fragrances can break down in fluctuating temperatures or humidity. 

"If a fragrance gets hot and cold a lot, this causes it to 'sweat' and condensation can get into the fragrance and cause unwanted chemical reactions to occur, which can ruin your favorite scent."

And if you're thinking about eau de parfum vs eau de toilette, your best long-lasting perfumes or even a body mist, the same case stands.

A woman spraying perfume on wrist/ the bottle is hexagonal in shape, with a gold spray lid

(Image credit: Getty Images/ JGI/Jamie Grill)

Holly Hutchinson, founder of London-based perfume brand Memoize, also backs this up, telling My Imperfect Life: "Perfumes can change with different conditions. When creating perfumes we have to test the life of the perfume under sunlight, heat and freezing, to determine the performance of perfumes kept under these conditions. 

"When a perfume comes into contact with any of these elements, it is possible that a perfume can age faster, and therefore change its smell and deteriorate—meaning it won't smell the same as it would if it were kept at room temperature and in normal light."

Holly then adds: "That's why we always advise keeping them at room temperature and not in direct sunlight!"

So, how should you store perfume?

If this news has totally ruined your bathroom decor (sorry, but also think of your perfumes!) Gordon has shared a few tips on correctly storing your fragrances.

Rather than storing them in the bathroom or on your desks, bedside tables, etc, Gordon notes to instead, "preserve them by storing them in a cool dark place, away from direct sunlight." 

Examples of that could be:

  • In a drawer
  • At the back of a shelf
  • In a storage cube
  • In a dark corner of your bedroom
  • In an underbed box
  • In your wardrobe

While you might have thought a fridge could be a good space to store them, also be aware that this could increase the likelihood of water or condensation getting into the product—plus it could rust the packaging!

Basically, temperature and sunlight are the real killers of perfumes—so while they are pretty to look at, keep them protected in a cool, dark, dry space.

Naomi Jamieson
Lifestyle News Writer

Naomi is a Lifestyle News Writer with the Women's Lifestyle team, where she covers everything from entertainment to fashion and beauty, as well as TikTok trends for Woman&Home, after previously writing for My Imperfect Life and GoodTo. Interestingly though, Naomi actually has a background in design, having studied illustration at Plymouth University but lept into the media world in 2020, after always having a passion for writing and earned her Gold Standard diploma in Journalism with the NCTJ.


Before working for Future Publishing’s Lifestyle News team, she worked in the Ad production team. Here she wrote and designed adverts on all sorts of things, which then went into print magazines across all genres. Now, when she isn’t writing articles on celebs, fashion trends, or the newest shows on Netflix, you can find her drinking copious cups of coffee, drawing and probably online shopping.