The Perfume Types – Know Them All

When you come across a “perfume” it is highly likely that you will recall someone who wears similar fragrance. Ah! Relatable much? Interestingly, all “perfumes” aren’t the same. Perfumes come in multitudinous types. I am damn sure of the fact that you have heard these terms like EDT, EDP and Cologne innumerable times but, maybe you never investigated deeper. Well, not all fragrances you have been referring to as perfumes have the same concentration of fragrance, essential oils and alcohol.

So how are the fragrances classified?

Eau de Toilette or EDT, it isn’t another fancy French word, there is much more to it. It is high on alcohol and low on the essential oil content. It is made up of 5 to 15 % essential oils. An EDT won’t last long, its top notes fade away very easily. So, even if you ended up spraying a lot and all your colleagues specially mentioned about the same this morning, don’t worry, few more hours and the top notes disappear.¹

Eau de Parfum or EDP is one of the most common fragrance types, it has a fragrance concentration of somewhere between 15% and 20%. EDP is likely to last for a good four to eight hours. This is suitable for sensitive skin types compared to other types of fragrance. Basically, an Eau de perfume is more powerful than an eau de toilette and you can achieve desired intensity with fewer sprays. Once the top notes fade, the middle notes of EDP become noticeable.¹

Parfum as the name speaks for itself is pure in its breed and as expected has the highest concentration of fragrance. Parfum is also known as extrait de parfum or pure perfume. Of all the scents, parfums last the longest- more than eight hours in most cases. The higher the concentration, the higher the price. Since parfums are low on the alcohol part, they are not as likely to dry out your skin.

Eau de Cologne traces its origins to Cologne, Germany. Wikipedia cites a very interesting aspect of the history of the cologne. In 1708, Farina wrote to his brother Jean Baptiste: “I have found a fragrance that reminds me of an Italian spring morning, of mountain daffodils and orange blossoms after the rain”.3He named his fragrance Eau de Cologne, in honor of his new hometown. The description he gave would literally make someone fall for the thing without ever having seen the same.

Eau de Fraiche contains low fragrance concentration (normally only 1 to 3%) plus, is low on alcohol as well. And, consequently doesn’t last for more than two hours. The remaining part constitutes the magical potion water.²

Apart from the above-mentioned types, one can spot numerous other aftershaves, facial mists, body mists and what not! Shopping for perfumes may not be easy but, it is fun.²

By Ravjyot Kaur- Ravjyot loves to express herself through her writing. She is an aspiring architect and an intern with Mistpoffer®

References

1. https://www.beautycrew.com.au/the-difference-between-eau-de-parfum-and-eau-de-toilette

2. https://www.perfume.com/article-a-guide-to-perfume-types

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eau_de_Cologne