How to Make Natural Perfume Last Longer

One of the comments I hear most often about natural perfume is that they do not last as long as mainstream fragrances. While this is certainly true, there are ways to make your natural (or any) perfume last longer.

How to Make Natural Perfume Last Longer

To ensure your natural perfume lasts as long as possible on the skin, it's important to consider several things including when and where to apply the perfume as well as how to store your perfume when in not in use.

When and Where Should You Apply Perfume?

• Apply After Showering: Spritz perfume after you shower and make sure your skin is well-moisturized (preferably with a fragrance-free moisturizer). 
• Apply on Pulse Points: Spray your perfume on your wrists, neck, décolleté, behind the ankles and behind the ears.

Additional Tips for Longevity:

• Add to Your Moisturizer: Try adding a few spritzes of your perfume to your moisturizer, then apply moisturizer as normal.
• Spritz Your Hair: For extra longevity, try spritzing your perfume in your hair.

Spray & Mist or Spray & Rub?

While we have certainly all done this before (and have seen others do it as well), do not rub your wrists together after spraying perfume on them. Why? All this does is speed up the rate of evaporation which means the perfume will not last as long. Instead, spray each wrist separately. Also, as mentioned before, spray your perfume directly on pulse points. Natural perfume is often darker colored due to the nature of the ingredients used so if you are concerned about staining due to the perfume’s color then make sure to spritz further away from you and do not spray on light colored clothing or clothing that stains easily.

How Much Perfume Should You Apply?

In terms of knowing how much or how little perfume to apply, this one is truly up to you. For most perfumes, I would recommend spraying once on pulse points in the morning after you shower (separate sprays) and then if needed, freshen up your perfume later in the day with one or two additional sprays.

How to Store Your Perfume for Longevity

To ensure you get the longest shelf-life possible out of your natural perfume, it's important to consider not only how long you keep it, but also how you store your perfume when not in use.

Perfume Storage

• Keep your perfume out of direct sunlight and away from heat or other temperature fluctuations.
• Do not store your perfume in the bathroom – even if it is in the pantry or on a shelf away from direct sunlight – humidity can also cause damage to your perfume over time.

Other Shelf-Life Considerations for Perfume

• Natural perfumes are made from botanical ingredients and therefore will not last as long as other perfumes. This is true for longevity on the skin (2-5 hours on the skin vs. up to 12 or more hours for synthetic perfumes) as well as shelf-life (depending on the perfume's base, most natural perfumes can last between 1-3 years in the bottle if stored properly).
• If your perfume is older than a few years, it may not last as long as it did when you first purchased it depending on how it has been stored, the cap or enclosure and how secure it is, how often you have sprayed it as well as how much is left in the bottle (if the bottle is almost empty then that means what is left is exposed to oxygen causing oxidation). Also, oxidized perfume (e.g., perfume that has been exposed to oxygen) can cause adverse skin reactions so if you feel like there’s a chance your perfume is oxidized spray it in the air first to see if the smell seems like it is still OK and if so, do a patch test on skin to determine if you experience any skin reactions.
• Depending on the ingredients, some perfumes can degrade more quickly over time. Alcohol-based perfumes tend to last longer in the bottle than oil-based perfumes. This is because alcohol acts as a preservative whereas oil-based perfumes that use jojoba oil do not have the same effect.
• Instead of opting for large bottles of perfume, purchase smaller bottles such as those in 7ml to 30ml sizes. This will allow you to rotate through several different perfumes while ensuring you do not let one go to waste because you purchased a larger bottle.