Eau de parfum, eau de toilette and eau de cologne – the myths and reality

If you aren’t acquainted with the difference between eau de parfum, eau de toilette, and eau de cologne, shopping away in that fragrance department can be both confusing and misleading. We have put this little guide for you so you can make informed decisions from now on.

The diluted difference between eau de parfum and eau de toilette

The logic here is pretty simple: the higher the percentage of pure perfume oil, the more concentrated the perfume is. This automatically means that perfume will last longer and cost more than its diluted siblings. Although these French names sound confusing and you are tempted to pronounce parfum with a rolling rrr, you should know that the difference is rather simple:

Body sprays contain less than 5 % of perfume oil

Eau Fraiche contains 5%-7% of perfume oil

Eau de Cologne contains 5%-8% concentrated perfume oil

Eau de Toilette is 10% perfume oil

Eau de Parfum is 15%-17% pure perfume oil

Parfum (often dubbed as extrait) is 25%-40% pure perfume oil

Parfum de Toilette: the scented centaur

If you think that you are out of the woods and fully trained in perfume at this point, just wait until you see a bottle labeled Parfum de Toilette. Labels like this one are generally a marketing move on the part of fragrance companies. This is only natural since designer houses are striving to appear relevant and innovative. In reality, parfum de toilette and eau de parfum are one and the same thing.

Why cannot they sell perfumes in their pure form?

This is a frequently asked question, mainly by women who either want to smell dazzling for a whole eternity or those who hope they can save money by applying less perfume. In some countries, they do sell concentrated perfume oils, mostly in wax form. The wax pure oil perfumes are dense, heavy, and have somewhat of a greasy feel to them, although they have their fair share of fans who prefer to apply them behind the ears, on the wrists, and in the cleavage area. Your average perfume is a much lighter concoction, it is generally comprised of at least 50 notes, each infused in a subtle manner to complement the whole.

The olfactory difference

Please make a note that there is always a slight change in your olfactory perception between an eau de toilette and an eau de parfum of the same fragrance. The fragrance houses tend to act cheap when it comes to eau de toilette compositions, so they leave some of the fancier ingredients out of the final products. Therefore, if you want your perfume to leave a true and long-lasting mark go for the eau de parfum.

Feel free to ask any questions in the comments. We would love to help out!

And if you ever want to get the most out of your fragrance, all you need to do is learn how to layer them like a pro. We’ve got the perfect little guide for you here, just a click away: https://www.scentbird.com/blog/layer-fragrances-like-a-pro/

You’ve been wondering how to personalize perfume to suit their style? We’ve got you. We’ve been disseminating helpful hacks and decided to aggregate our top tips all in one place: https://www.scentbird.com/blog/the-art-of-fragrance-dos-donts/

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