TikTok’s craze for pheromone perfumes has seen their prices shoot up in the last few months. While the jury is still out on whether they increase sexual attraction, there’s no denying that they cost more than your average perfume. But do they last as much as or longer than the average 1-to-3-year shelf life of conventional perfumes?
Pheromones perfumes last for about 5 years in a bottle. However, their shelf life may vary depending on where the bottle is stored. Exposure to direct sunlight, extreme temperatures, and air can significantly shorten the lifespan of pheromone perfumes.
Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about the shelf life of pheromone perfumes and what you can do to maximize it.
How Storage Conditions Affect the Shelf Life of Pheromone Perfumes
I’ve already mentioned that these perfumes last five years on average and that the shelf life depends on the storage conditions. What I’m yet to explain is why and how exposure to direct sunlight, extreme temperatures, and air affects the lifespan of pheromone perfumes stored in bottles.
Let’s tackle the why first.
The reason these factors have a significant effect on the shelf life of pheromone perfumes is that these perfumes contain more than just pheromones. The pheromones are usually dissolved in other ingredients, such as added fragrances and carrier liquids. These additional ingredients are significantly more sensitive to exposure to air, excess heat, and direct sunlight.
Now that you understand why these factors affect how long pheromone perfumes last, let’s discuss how they do that.
Exposure to Direct Sunlight
Exposure to direct sunlight shortens the shelf life of pheromone perfumes by accelerating the oxidation of the oils and carrier liquids found in the perfume.
UV light is known to accelerate the oxidation of various compounds, and the oils and other additives in pheromone perfumes are no exception. So when these perfumes are stored in an area with direct sunlight, some of their ingredients break down, significantly shortening the whole formula’s shelf life.
Direct sunlight also heats up these perfumes, causing the carrier to evaporate. This applies to both water-based and alcohol-based pheromone perfumes. When the carrier evaporates, the pheromones’ concentration changes dramatically, causing them to crystallize.
Crystallization weakens the perfume’s scent almost instantly. It can even kill its potency altogether. Either way, the perfume’s shelf life gets cut short.
Exposure to Extreme Temperatures
We’ve already touched up on one of the ways extreme temperatures affect pheromone perfumes: heat causes the carrier to evaporate, triggering crystallization.
Extreme cold isn’t ideal, either. Many of these perfumes have oils in them. Like many conventional oils, the oils found in these perfumes aren’t immune to solidifying in extremely cold conditions.
That’s why if you ever store one of these perfumes in an extremely cold place, it’ll turn into goop. That goop will not only be unpleasant to apply, but it’ll also have a weaker scent because the pheromones in it are no longer evenly distributed. Why? Because the oils are partly responsible for ensuring that your perfume is evenly-scented.
Exposure to Air
This has more to do with your storage practices than conditions. Pheromone perfume bottles are usually designed to keep air out. So unless you tamper with the sealing mechanism or don’t seal the bottle properly, you won’t have to worry about air shortening your perfume’s shelf life.
But since mistakes happen, let’s find out what would happen if air found its way into your bottle.
Exposure to air can affect the shelf life of your pheromone perfume by:
- Allowing the pheromones to react with oxygen. This reaction changes the chemical profile of the pheromones, reducing their potency.
- Causing the carrier liquid to evaporate. In addition to altering the concentration of the pheromones, evaporation of the carrier compromises the perfume’s effectiveness and potency. That’s because the carrier liquid plays a critical role in evenly distributing the pheromones throughout the formula to ensure that you get a strong scent with each application.
- Increasing the chances of contamination. Bacteria and microorganisms have a better chance of contaminating your perfume when it’s exposed to the air. Most of these organisms need oxygen to thrive, and opening up your perfume gives them just that.
Summary
The bottom line is that your pheromone perfume’s durability depends more on your storage conditions than the expiry date. Extreme temperatures, direct sunlight, and exposure to air can spoil your perfume long before the expiry date. While some of these storage conditions may not affect the pheromones directly, they can compromise other ingredients in your perfume.