Do aftershaves go off in the bottle after time?

StephenShave

StephenShave

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I have some aftershave bottles in my stash going back over 20 years! However, I just read an article online which states, " But aftershaves have a shelf-life: Three years to be exact. After that, the natural oils in the bottle lose their intensity and go rancid."

I often see vintage aftershaves for sale in the buy/sell forum, so my question is - do aftershaves eventually go off?
 
Bechet45 said:
Aftershaves with or without alcoholl? Alcohol is a preservative so I'd guess they don't.

Are you not in a perfect position to answer your own question?
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You'd think so, wouldn't you LOL However, I'm not sure my nose in sensitive enough to tell. I have a bottle of 1980s YSL Kouros, and it does smell a little strange, but I'm not sure if it's 'off', or if I don't recall how it should really smell! I also have a bottle of RL Polo, and it's the same. To be honest, I'm on the fence and could be talked into either opinion... :icon_razz:
 
Alcohol-based aftershaves can last a long time. I have a bottle or two which are over 20 years old and show no sign of deterioration. Natural EO scented AS will deteriorate more quickly. Fragrance oil AS (all the commercial ones) will last longer. For long life keep the bottle cap tightly closed when not in use, keep in a cool place and, most importantly, keep in the dark.
 
Re: RE: Do aftershaves go off in the bottle after time?

StephenShave said:
Bechet45 said:
Aftershaves with or without alcoholl? Alcohol is a preservative so I'd guess they don't.

Are you not in a perfect position to answer your own question?
Click to expand...

You'd think so, wouldn't you LOL However, I'm not sure my nose in sensitive enough to tell. I have a bottle of 1980s YSL Kouros, and it does smell a little strange, but I'm not sure if it's 'off', or if I don't recall how it should really smell! I also have a bottle of RL Polo, and it's the same. To be honest, I'm on the fence and could be talked into either opinion... :icon_razz:
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Well I own a bottle of 35 year old Old Spice which still smells exactly as it should.

I'd say it depends on the conditions it's been kept in etc...
 
I have some very old aftershave that still smells fine. Also some EDT that are also very old but also have some EDT that are much newer that have got a strange smell about them that wasnt present when I bought them. I guess it is down to the ingredients in a particular brand or the individual fragrance oils. They have all been stored in the same way.
 
Slightly off topic, but do any chemists here know how time effects a/s balms?

The reason I ask is that I have a large selection of balms, the latest ones acquired this year in Cyprus. Most, if not all, have a 12 month expiry. I'm not that bothered about the smell, but do they loose their skin care qualities? If they loose their skin care, I may as well bin them.
 
Expiry dates can be a very strange and variable thing for all sorts of products and I'm pretty sure that some of it is to frighten people into spending more money. A good example of this is whilst in the supermarket last week looking for some large salt crystals/flakes I came across a box of rock salt with a use by date on of 2015, which is utterly ridiculous seeing as salt is a preservative and that rock salt in particular is already millions of years old.
 
Re: RE: Do aftershaves go off in the bottle after time?

Manoflamancha said:
Slightly off topic, but do any chemists here know how time effects a/s balms?

The reason I ask is that I have a large selection of balms, the latest ones acquired this year in Cyprus. Most, if not all, have a 12 month expiry. I'm not that bothered about the smell, but do they loose their skin care qualities? If they loose their skin care, I may as well bin them.
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I would be more concerned about microorganisms growing in the balm than any chemical deterioration. You would have to be very unlucky to actually cause yourself any harm, but it does occasionally happen. You should also note that the 12 months only starts on opening the product, so anything still sealed should be OK.
 
Neep said:
globalm said:
For long life keep the bottle cap tightly closed when not in use, keep in a cool place and, most importantly, keep in the dark.
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That's the key.
Always keep aftershaves in the dark of a cabinet.

Rod
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Why? A product going "off" is largely owing to bacteria getting into things, nibbling at them and multiplying. Bacteria love 3 things; dark, warmth and moistness. I suspect the last 2 of those are in any bathroom and adding the third could assist the propagation of bacteria.

Ian
 
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