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Your customers will all have their signature scent, but constantly throwing away empty bottles—especially if they’re not made of sustainable packaging—isn’t the best for the planet. If you’re producing your own perfume, learning how to refill a bottle can be incredibly useful, as offering a refill service to your customers helps to reduce waste significantly.

So, how do you refill a perfume bottle? Here’s everything you need to know.

Why Refill a Perfume Bottle?

Every time an empty perfume bottle is thrown away, it creates unnecessary waste. Even if the bottle is recyclable, the process of recycling still uses energy and resources. By offering a refill service to your customers instead of creating a need for further bottles to be used, you can considerably reduce your environmental impact and offer a more sustainable business model.

This will also appeal to your customers, as they can obtain their chosen perfume at a lower price without having to pay for the added expense of a new bottle.

How to Refill Perfume Bottles

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to refill and reuse a perfume bottle.

Step 1: Prepare Your Workspace

Before you get started, find a clean, flat surface to work on and clear the space. It doesn’t take much kit to refill a perfume bottle, but do make sure you have everything you need to hand:

• Your empty perfume bottles
• Your fragrance
• A funnel or a syringe (depending on the size of your empty bottle)
• A measuring cup (if you’re mixing perfumes)
• A cloth
• Gloves 

You might also want to protect your table with a cover like a plastic sheet or tablecloth in case of potential spillages.

Step 2: Remove the Spray Nozzle

First things first, put on gloves (if using) and remove the spray nozzle from the empty perfume bottle. Most nozzles can be gently removed just by pulling them, but others might have to be twisted. 

If pulling doesn’t work, try shimmying it from side to side to loosen it rather than pulling hard. Some perfume bottles can be trickier to work with than others, but once you get the hang of it, it’ll be easier next time. 

Step 3: Clean the Bottle

Next, you’ll want to give the perfume bottle a good wash and rinse so it’s ready to be refilled. This is especially important if you’re planning to fill it with a different fragrance – the last thing you want is to mix two scents that don’t go together.

Standard soapy water is fine. Use a bottle brush to clean the bottom and corners of the bottle, rinse thoroughly and leave to dry. 

Step 4: Use the Funnel to Pour

Place your funnel into the opening of the perfume bottle. Slowly pour the fragrance into the bottle, leaving a little room at the top for the nozzle. If the bottle is particularly small, you may have to use a syringe instead.

Step 5: Replace the Spray Nozzle

Fit or screw the spray nozzle back in place. You’ll need your cloth here to wipe away any excess if you didn’t leave enough room for it in the bottleneck.

You shouldn’t need to press it down or screw it back with too much force. Give the bottle a tilt and you’ll quickly see whether you put the nozzle back on properly!

Step 6: Test the Spray

If the bottle had a different fragrance in it before and you were trying to get the last few sprays of fragrance out before you refilled it, the nozzle tube might have some air bubbles in it. Give a couple of light sprays and it should clear them. Your refilled perfume bottle is now ready to use.

Buy Refillable Perfume Bottles at Lifestyle Packaging

If you produce your own fragrances and are looking for premium, sustainable bottles to package them in, our packaging range is the ideal option. At Lifestyle Packaging, we stock a wide range of quality glass fragrance bottles for perfume, droppers, jars, and more that enhance the presentation of your fragrances and provide a luxury feel.

We can also create bespoke packaging to show off your brand. Get in touch today to learn more.