Can Aftershaves go Off..??

[Townyj]

This question has probably been answered before, but i havent been able to find a thread about it.

How is the longetivity of general aftershaves and will they go off over time..?? Do they last longer then say perfumes etc..?? Im presuming they have a life span... I just purchased a bottle of Floid Vigoroso to add to my collection, now i have a nice little collection of menthol going on. Just hope its not over board.... After seeing some shave dens here i think i could be ok.

 

[cvac]

Keep it out of the light/heat and in a cool place and they should last a long time (i.e. many, many years). Basically, store them the same way you would store colognes.

 

[Townyj]

Awesome! I thought it would be along the similar lines of perfumes/colognes etc! Thanks!

 

[Haber Dashing]

The scents of colognes breaks down rather rapidly. I've read that you really shouldn't bother buying more then you could use in a year with regard to colognes and perfumes. Do any of you start to see a change in the smell of unopened bottles of aftershave after they have been left to season for years?

 

[cvac]

Haber, that's not entirely correct. While they may lose potency over time, if properly stored colognes and perfumes can last decades. There are people who collect vintage fragrances and actually wear them. Myself - I have bought fragrances that are old stock and still sealed that haven't been manufactured in several years and they still smell good. Again, storage is key.

From what I understand, some colognes and perfumes are more prone to break down than others, particularly those that contain a large portion of natural ingredients.

 

[Greybeard]

They start to deteriorate as soon as they are exposed to air, heat and light, in that order. Once the bottle is opened, you should continue to use it. How long it takes to go off varies.

The ideal place for storage is to keep it sealed, in your wine cellar, next to your Chateau Ausone Merlot. That's where I keep my Aqua Velva.
JK.



- Peter

 

[Haber Dashing]

They start to deteriorate as soon as they are exposed to air, heat and light, in that order. Once the bottle is opened, you should continue to use it. How long it takes to go off varies.

The ideal place for storage is to keep it sealed, in your wine cellar, next to your Chateau Ausone Merlot. That's where I keep my Aqua Velva.
JK.



- Peter

Aqua Velva=man speak for fine spirits

 

[Steerpike]

Does whiskey go off?

Seriously, your bottle of Old Spice really won't grow mould in it any time soon. The fragrance may change subtly, or get milder, but I doubt by very much. I've got a bottle of 4711 that's well over 30 years old. It smells pretty much identical to the stuff I bought last month. Don't worry.

 

[Peter Mount]

Would the alcohol in the aftershave get weaker over time? I've got a couple of aftershaves that are decades old.

 

[jkingrph]

Would the alcohol in the aftershave get weaker over time? I've got a couple of aftershaves that are decades old.

Alcohol will only get "weaker" if diluted. If exposed to air in humid conditiions it will absorb water from the air and thus be diluted.

Back in the days when I was in the Air Force and we were actually compounding some cough syrups, and using alcohol as an ingredient, the 5 gallon cans of USP 95% alcohol would sometimes gain in volume after being opened and not used. This could really be pronounced if you started with absolute alcohol 100% or 200 proof. It was virtually guaranteed to dilute to 95% from exposure to moisture in the air.

 

[Peter Mount]

Alcohol will only get "weaker" if diluted. If exposed to air in humid conditiions it will absorb water from the air and thus be diluted.

Back in the days when I was in the Air Force and we were actually compounding some cough syrups, and using alcohol as an ingredient, the 5 gallon cans of USP 95% alcohol would sometimes gain in volume after being opened and not used. This could really be pronounced if you started with absolute alcohol 100% or 200 proof. It was virtually guaranteed to dilute to 95% from exposure to moisture in the air.

Thanks. I'll check out the aromas of the old bottles and just throw out the ones I don't like the smell of.

 

[Pungo Lee]

As a collector of Shulton Products I can attest to the fact Old Spice and Old Spice Burly do not lose significant properties over time and in the Colognes actually gain desirability.
I can not speak of finer fragrances.
I am currently working on a 1959 bottle of Old Spice cologne and a 1965ish bottle of aftershave. I rate them as the finest examples of this scent known to this man.
A recently aquired Burly gift set from around 1972 is the newest example of this fragrence I have, compared to several earlier 1969 versions, all purchased from Ebay.
One was described as coming from an old Navy guys trunk. They all smell exactly as they should to my untrained nose.
Yet I have encountered a sour Old Spice Telegraph decanter (adulterated?) as well as various stale smelling half-full bottles of Seaforth, Sportsman, Kingsmen, you name it.
Like seafood the nose knows what is good and what is not.
(A sidenote: The unopened Burly deodorant stick in the gift set had shrunk somewhat and gave off a alcohol smell I considered unhealthy, a no go.)

 

[Deltaboy]

I have a Bottle of Grey Flannel that is over 25 years old and it is in a spray bottle it still smells great.