7 Ways to Use Expired Perfumes

What to do when you rediscover that seemingly-forever-lost bottle of your favorite scent hidden behind your chest of drawers or at the bottom of a suitcase or left behind at a friend’s house? Even if it’s a little past its best, you likely don’t want to throw your hard-earned dollars down the drain. 

But all is not lost when it comes to expired perfumes and there are multiple ways you can enjoy what’s left inside, even if that doesn’t involve spritzing it directly on your skin. 

Not sure where to start? Read on for all of the best ways to use up your expired perfumes!

Dilute your perfume to use it as a body lotion

One of the reasons why perfumes expire is because they lose their potency over time due to evaporation, oxidation, or exposure to heat and light. But just because they’re not 100 percent perfect anymore doesn’t mean that they’re completely useless! 

Instead, enjoy the scent of your expired perfume by diluting it with an unscented moisturizer or a carrier oil like jojoba oil. This will help to make the scent last longer and will also moisturize your skin: a win-win for sure. 

Place a few drops on a cotton ball and use it as a room freshener

Another easy way to use up your expired perfume is to create your very own room freshener. All you need is a cotton ball or a piece of paper and a small dish or container. 

Just place a few drops of your expired perfume on the cotton ball or paper and put it in the dish before placing it in your bedroom, bathroom, living room, or closet. If you choose the latter, you may even find your clothes start to smell a little like your favorite scent, too.

Use it as a chance to get into perfume layering 

If you have multiple bottles of expired perfume that you don’t want to waste, you can try to make your own unique fragrance by mixing them together. Not sure where to start? We’ve written a whole handy guide on perfume layering to get you started! 

Experiment with different combinations and ratios until you find something that you like but mix slowly so as not to overpower each scent. You can also add other fragrant ingredients like vanilla extract, essential oils, or alcohol, to enhance the smell or longevity of your homemade perfume.

Freshen up your bedding, curtains, carpets, or rugs

While we wouldn’t recommend liberally spritzing your favorite expensive scents around the room while they’re still smelling their best, there’s nothing stopping you from repurposing expired scents into something room-worthy. 

You can spray your bedding, curtains, carpets, and rugs with your expired perfume to give them a gorgeous smell and eliminate any odors that have built up since they were last washed. 

If you want to level up even more, you can even spray your mattress when you change the sheets or sprinkle some baking soda mixed with perfume on your carpet before vacuuming it up. 

Spritz your lamp shades and fans

Here’s a life hack you may not have thought of! Normally you’d want to keep your perfume away from heat, as it can ruin the complex oils inside. But, if you’ve got a leftover scent that’s past its best, you may be able to bring back some of its former glory by utilizing heat. 

The heat from the lamps or bulbs can help to disperse the scent throughout the room, while the air from the fans will circulate it around. Of course, it should go without saying that you don’t want to directly spritz electrical items, but spritzing near them can offer a great result. 

Use perfume as a hair spray

We’re hearing more and more about hair perfume nowadays and it’s a new trend we’re definitely getting behind. Expired perfumes can be great for this when mixed into your leave-in conditioners or spray bottles. 

You can also add a little perfume to your shampoo, conditioner, or hair mask for a more lasting effect. But be careful not to use too much perfume or too often, as it can dry out your hair or irritate your scalp. 

Repurpose the bottles into stylish homeware

There are multiple ways you can use your empty perfume bottles. Firstly, you can use your perfume bottles as oil burners to create a cozy, fragrant atmosphere at home.

All you need is some scented oil, a wick, and a candle. Pour some oil into the bottle and insert the wick through the nozzle. Then, place the bottle over a candle and light it up. 

You can also use your empty perfume bottles as reed diffusers, flower vases, or even just ornaments around your house, highlighting your personality and showing off what great taste you have!

Here at FragranceX.com you’ll find a huge range of incredible scents to keep you smelling delicious on all occasions. Shop our best sellers here.