Can cologne get stale?

[sympleko]

I'm just getting back into using cologne and one bottle I have is almost ten years old. I know who I was dating when I bought it which is why I know exactly how old it is. :-)

Anyway, it wasn't cheap and it's still about 60% full, so I'd still like to get some use out of it. On the other hand, I heard that cologne can change its scent over time, so I don't want to slap on bad stuff.

I guess the only way to find out for sure if I should hold on to this cologne is to try it and see how it smells. But I don't completely trust my own nose. I was wondering if others had any experience with colognes going off if they get too old.

[ulven22]

Have you tried to smell it

if its smells good its probably safe to use

[sympleko]

I guess the proof of the pudding is in the eating. I was just wondering if what I had heard (that colognes can change their scent) was true or BS.

[theperfectstorm]

Colognes don't go stale--they go rancid. The more high-tone a scent, meaning the better (i.e. more natural) the ingredients, the more likely it will go bad after a certain amount of sitting around. Cheap chemical scents will last a looong time, stuff like Creed can and will go bad.

People at retail stores like Dilliard's tell you horror stories of stale cologne to keep you from buying on-line and in discount stores. 90% of that is crap to get you to buy there instead, but there is a kernel of truth in what they say.

[Isaias]

Colognes don't go stale--they go rancid. The more high-tone a scent, meaning the better (i.e. more natural) the ingredients, the more likely it will go bad after a certain amount of sitting around. Cheap chemical scents will last a looong time, stuff like Creed can and will go bad.

People at retail stores like Dilliard's tell you horror stories of stale cologne to keep you from buying on-line and in discount stores. 90% of that is crap to get you to buy there instead, but there is a kernel of truth in what they say.

I agree with 90% of what he said. Most of the colognes will not go stale, but a few rare ones will. I have bottles of EDTs that are 20 Y.O. and still smell good. But then I also have this bottle of unforgivable. I bough the AS and EDT almost 2 years ago when it was released and used it for a few months before my EDTAD started. I stored the AS on a dark place and left the EDT sitting around where the sun and heat could reach it. I did not know at that time that it was not good for it. Six months ago I tried to use it, I sprayed it on me and there was no smell. Sprayed some more and nothing. I shook the bottle and sprayed 6 more times to get the strength I needed. Now the AS lasts longer than the EDT, and both bottles still have 60% of the liquid!

Finally trust your nose. If it doesn't smell unpleasant for you, it does not smell bad for someone else.

[sympleko]

Thanks, that helps!

[MotoMike]

I agree with 90% of what he said. Most of the colognes will not go stale, but a few rare ones will.I have bottles of EDTs that are 20 Y.O. And still smell good. And then there is this bottle of unforgivable. I bough almost 2 years ago when it was released; I used it for a few months before my EDTAD started. I bought the Aftershave and EDT. I stored the AS on a dark place and left the EDT sitting around where the sun and heat could reach it. I did not know at that time that it was not good for it. Six months ago I tried to use it, I sprayed it on me and there was no smell. Sprayed some more and nothing. I shook the bottle and sprayed 6 more times to get the strength I needed. Now the AS lasts longer than the EDT, and both bottles still have 60% of the liquid!

Finally trust your nose. If it doesn't smell unpleasant for you, it does not smell bad for someone else.

That's unforgivable

[Isaias]

That's unforgivable

Not funny
(Ok it is )

[ulven22]

Sorry

[Maximilian]

Another issue with keeping an EDT or EDC for a very long time is that the company usually reformulates or changes something in the EDC/EDT. Scent wise it can differ slightly and even color wise.

[atrac]

..and if you're curious what a rancid cologne smells like, just try whiffing "Touch Sport" by Fred Hayman. WORST smelling cologne ever.

..and it doesn't matter what bottle you smell, new or old. It smells rancid! ;)

[Austin]

The alcohol in cologne is a good preservative. The cologne will go bad if it is stored in sunlight or temperature fluctuations.

[rvbert0]

I found out I had a bottle go bad a couple days ago. It had been one of the 2 smaller 1 oz bottles I keep in my gym bag. Had probably been there for at least 3 years, and finally when I tried it recently, found that it just smelled very very bad.

Perhaps its due to having been in my car during both summer and winter and temperature fluctuations on a regular basis.

Of all the colognes I've owned, I've only noticed 2 really go bad. The first was a Coolwater bottle I discussed above, the second was a bottle of Mugler Cologne by Thierry Mugler. I notice it more with deodorants than I do with colognes.

[Dennard]

Yep, like theperfectstorm said, cologne sometimes "turns" after a while. A lot of variables are involved including how old it is and how it is stored. I've only had two colognes go bad in twenty years or so of using cologne. One was a bottle of English Leather that was stored in a warm room for like ten years. If it smells good to you, wear it.

[Thomas]

Some colognes stay wearable even if the color has turned or the top notes seem off. Usually the top notes are the most susceptible to fading or turning, but they're gone after around 15 minutes and then you're into the more stable compounds which don't turn so much. Still, YMMV and you'll probably want to test it on yourself on an off-day before inflicting it on the rest of the world.