Let’s face it, everyone likes to smell good. There are many people who prefer carrying their favorite perfume with them wherever they go.
Some people even keep one in their car! Because you never know when you might need to dab some on, right?
Well, even if it is very convenient to have a bottle of perfume in the car for emergencies, is it okay to leave perfume in the car? Is it even safe to leave perfume in the car?
Don’t worry, as I will be telling you all you need to know about keeping perfumes in the car.
Can You Leave Perfume In The Car?
No, you should not leave perfume in the car, even if it is in the glove box.
Leaving your perfume in the car will cause it to deteriorate. UV rays and fluctuations in temperature and humidity will cause the physical properties of the fragrance to be altered. As a result, the scent will be altered, and the longevity of the perfume will be negatively impacted.
Moreover, a moving car continuously jerks and shakes the perfume bottle. This speeds up the oxidation process of the molecules within the fragrance. As a result, the perfume gets degraded much faster.
So, even if it is very convenient to have perfume in the car for when you need it on the go, you should not keep it there.
Also, check out our separate post on How To Neutralize Perfume Odor?
Perfumes should be stored in a cool, dark place with temperatures ranging from 55 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Hence, I would strongly suggest you do not keep the perfume in the car.
Can You Keep Perfume In A Hot Car?
Keeping your perfume in a hot car for a long is a big no-no!
The fragrance may still deteriorate even if you only keep your perfume bottle in a hot car for a short while, say a day or two. However, it’s possible that the effects won’t be as apparent.
As you may or may not know, perfume is a mixture of different oils dissolved in water and alcohol – the resulting liquid is highly volatile and sensitive to temperature and humidity.
If you keep that mixture, a perfume, in hot and humid cars, it is bound to affect the fragrance. Even if you keep it in the glovebox, the temperature and humidity are not stable inside it, so that won’t make things any better.
Keeping your perfume in a hot car exposes it to sunlight, high temperatures, and humidity. As a result, the chemicals within the perfume will degrade. The original scent of the perfume will change, the liquid fragrance will get discolored, and the longevity of the perfume will decrease.
Since the high temperatures and humidity continuously fluctuate, the quality of the fragrance will be compromised, and the volatile fragrance will evaporate.
In a hurry? Check out How To Buy Perfume For Cheap?
Is It Safe To Leave Perfume In a Hot Car?
When talking about keeping perfumes in a hot car, I have heard many people question whether the perfumes can explode in the car!
Well, the truth is, even though it is a very rare occasion, perfumes can explode in a hot car.
What happens is, at extremely high temperatures, the air pressure changes. The change in the air pressure inside the bottle causes the air within to expand as a result of the bottles exploding!
However, this mostly happens when the quality of the glass used to make the bottles is poor.
On the other hand, at high temperatures, plastic bottles do not explode, but instead, they melt, and the liquid evaporates and escapes. Since the liquid is flammable, the evaporated gas can be considered a fire hazard!
Can You Leave Perfume In The Car When It’s Cold?
As you know, perfume should be stored in a cool place – does that mean you can keep the perfume in a car when it’s cold?
Well, to be fair, when the temperature is colder and close to what the perfumes should be stored at, then there is not much harm in keeping perfume in the car. However, since direct exposure to sunlight will damage the molecules, it must be kept in the glovebox.
Nonetheless, when the car is moving, the perfume bottle will also be subjected to continuous movement and shaking which will speed up the breakdown of the fragrance. As a result, the perfume will degrade faster.
So, even though you can keep the perfume in the car, I would advise that you refrain from keeping your perfume in the car even when it is cold.
Have some time to spare? Check out How To Pack Perfume Bottles?
Can Perfume Freeze In The Car?
Is there a possibility that perfume will freeze if kept in the car when the temperature is really cold?
Well, no, perfumes will not freeze in the car.
As you know by now, perfumes contain oil dissolved in a mixture of water and alcohol. Due to the high concentration of alcohol present in the liquid, perfumes have extremely low freezing temperatures.
So, whether you keep your perfume in the car during the chilliest winter or store it in the fridge, your perfume won’t freeze.
However, even though the liquid fragrance will not freeze, it is not advised to store your perfumes at really low temperatures because the perfume container glass may get too cold and crack open if not stored properly.
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Can You Use Perfume As An Air Freshener In The Car?
Many people have a habit of using perfumes and bodysprays as an air fresheners for their cars. So, does that work?
Well, it is not uncommon for people to use spare perfumes as air fresheners and to some extent it does work.
Since perfumes are much more concentrated than air deodorizers, only spraying a little produces a lot of nice fragrance.
But the thing about perfumes is that they last for hours when we use them on our skin because the fragrance molecules bind to the natural oils of our skin. Since it won’t bind with the right surface in the car, the fragrance won’t last for long.
The scent may adhere to the leather or fabric of your car’s seats, but when the temperature in the vehicle changes, it may either turn stale or fast dissipate.
So I would suggest that the best thing to do is use air freshener for cars.
Conclusion
Perfumes are sensitive liquids, so how they are stored plays a big role in determining their scent, performance, and longevity – and keeping them in the car is not the best way to store your perfumes.
Yes, I understand that having perfume in the car is very convenient because you never know when you might need an extra dab.
But the best solution is to get travel-sized perfume sprays or decants that are super convenient to carry. So, instead of keeping perfume in your car, you can simply carry it with you wherever you go and use I whenever you need it.
Also, you can check out Can Perfumes Be Patented?
I hope you found this article helpful. If you have any queries or feedback, please leave them in the comments below.
