Can Vaseline Make Your Perfume Scent Last Longer? Here's The Deal

Have you ever put on your favorite perfume, and within a few hours, the scent is gone? Perfume should last more than a few hours on your skin, so it's irritating when you need to carry the bottle around with you and frequently reapply. 

There are many different reasons why your scent might be fading so fast, one of the most common being the formula of your product. If it doesn't contain a high concentration of fragrance oils, the smell won't be able to last (via Fragrance Today). The type of scent you prefer also affects its longevity. Perfumes developed to smell "light and fresh" are less likely to last on your skin than those with "rich and sweet" palettes. 

People with dry skin may also notice fragrances not lasting, as without enough moisture in their skin, the scents fade without being properly absorbed. Luckily, TikTok has found a quick fix for this particular problem. 

Using Vaseline before applying perfume is the latest popular fragrance hack, since the moisture it adds to your skin helps the fragrance to be properly absorbed and maintained. Many users agree that using this product before their fragrance is a great way to fix the problem, including The Guardian beauty journalist Anita Bhagwandas. But while the hack does theoretically improve the longevity of a fragrance on the skin, the scent of Vaseline can negatively impact the overall aroma you're going for.

Vaseline is a petroleum-based product that locks moisture into the skin. When you apply it before your favorite perfume, it can have the same effect of holding the scent you love onto your body. Since Vaseline is oil-based, it can merge with the oils of your perfume, per Pairfum London. When this happens, it causes the smell to stick to your skin for longer, but can also reduce the intensity of the scent. 

The other reason why this hack does make fragrances last longer is because perfume is absorbed better into moisturized skin than dry skin. If you have a dry complexion, you may lack the sebum needed to hold onto the product, which can lead to the scent dissolving rather than being held onto by the skin. 

TikToker @theshaeslay explains how easy it is to use Vaseline or any petroleum jelly to make your perfume last from morning to night. All you have to do is rub a small amount of the product onto the areas of your body where you like to spray your fragrance.  Then apply your perfume over the same spot, and you're ready to smell good for longer. 

While there's no denying the simplicity of this hack, not every expert is convinced that Vaseline should be worn under perfume, even if it does make the fragrance last longer. 

In an online video, perfume expert and content creator — and also the face behind TikTok perfume review account Jus de Rose — Josephine revealed why she wouldn't use Vaseline, or any petroleum jelly, beneath her fragrances. 

”Vaseline is no good,” she said in the video. ”Because it's made of petroleum jelly which smells like oil and gas.” She would never want to use this product because those unpleasing scents would become the base layer of her perfume. However, many users fought back in the comment section of Josephine's video, arguing that Vaseline doesn't smell like anything.

Whether you agree with Josephine or not, she has an alternative if you don't want to use Vaseline. Instead, she uses fragrance-free lotion to hydrate her skin before applying perfume. Otherwise, you can use a scented hydrating lotion that will complement your perfume. That way, you build your own unique fragrance profile.

Detailing the process in another quick TikTok video, Jospehine explained that you simply rub in the moisturizer of your choice. Once it dries, spray on your perfume, and you'll have a scent that lasts all day.