Unlike food, cosmetic products do not have an expiration date, but a P.A.O. It means the Period After Opening before the end of which it is recommended to use the product. However, this mention rarely appears on the bottles of perfume. So, how do you know how long to keep your Eau de Toilette ? Here are all our tips !
Can an Eau de Toilette really expire ?
The answer is : Yes!
Like all beauty products, an Eau de Toilette has a limited shelf life. However, because of their high concentration of alcohol, perfumes can be kept particularly long and are thus exempted from the PAO mention, which is mandatory only when the product has a shelf life lower than 30 months.
Before opening, an Eau de Toilette can, in principle, be kept for several years in good conditions. Once opened, it can generally be kept for one to three years, but its shelf life can often be longer.
Beauty products containing natural ingredients with few preservatives and vegetable oils keep less well overall than synthetic substances.
In general, strong, heady fragrances are kept the best, while light, fresh or tangy fragrances turn more quickly. Some oriental, woody or amber notes can even be sublimated with time... like wine!
How to know if your Eau de Toilette has expired?
If you have a doubt about the conservation of an opened Eau de Toilette, check these few points :
The opening date : Try to remember when you started using your Eau de Toilette, if it's only been a few months, it should still be usable.
The color : A change of color of the liquid often indicates an oxidation of the eau de toilette or the perfume. It is of course difficult to notice this if your bottle is not perfectly transparent.
The smell : If the perfume is still pleasant but just a little less pronounced, don't worry, some of the base or top notes have simply faded. On the other hand, if you notice an abnormal, acidic or unpleasant smell, which has nothing to do with the original fragrance, your eau de toilette has unfortunately "gone off"!
How to store your Eau de Toilette ?
Before opening, simply store your Eau de Toilette in its original packaging and in a cool, dark place.
After opening, make sure to keep your bottle away from light, humidity and heat. Avoid keeping it in the bathroom, but rather place it in a closed cupboard, ideally in a room that is always cool and not very humid.
If the temperature is really high, you can place your bottle in the cellar or in the upper part of the refrigerator. Choose Eau de Toilette in a spray bottle rather than in a bottle with a cap. This way, you will avoid contact with air and skin, which can easily alter the product.
Finally, avoid keeping a half-empty bottle (or a half-full one if you're optimistic) for too long : the more air there is in the bottle, the more likely it is that your perfume will oxidize and degrade quickly.
To avoid unpleasant surprises, try not to open too many bottles at once, as it will probably take too long to finish them all before they spoil.
You like to vary the pleasures and carry your favorite perfumes everywhere with you, without having to worry about their conservation? Then choose small bottles, or even miniatures! You will be able to change your fragrance according to your moods, without ever letting your eau de toilette get damaged.
Cosmetic products such as face care, body care or sun creams can have their effectiveness greatly altered over time. Too old, they can even cause skin reactions. With their high percentage of alcohol, perfumes and their by-products that are past their prime do not present any real risk to your health... but they will sometimes make your nose hurt after having been forgotten for too long !
