Perfume

Parfum vs eau de parfum vs eau de toilette vs cologne: concentrations explained

TUREFF• •0
Look at a perfume counter and you will see the same scent sold as parfum, eau de parfum and eau de toilette at quite different prices. The names describe concentration: how much perfume oil, the blend of aromatic materials, is dissolved in the alcohol and water that make up the rest of the bottle.

The usual ranges

These are the commonly quoted ranges. They are industry conventions rather than legal definitions, and different sources and brands give slightly different figures, so treat them as approximate.
  • Parfum, extrait de parfum or pure perfume: roughly 20 to 30 per cent perfume oil, and sometimes more. The most concentrated and usually the most expensive per millilitre.
  • Eau de parfum (EDP): roughly 15 to 20 per cent. The most common format for many modern fragrances.
  • Eau de toilette (EDT): roughly 5 to 15 per cent. Lighter, often brighter.
  • Eau de cologne (EDC): roughly 2 to 5 per cent. Very light and short-lived, traditionally citrusy and splashed on generously.
  • Body mists and splashes: lower still.
Brands set their own levels, so one house's eau de toilette may be stronger than another's eau de parfum.

A note on the word cologne

In English, especially in the US, cologne is often used loosely to mean any fragrance marketed to men, whatever its concentration. On a label, eau de cologne refers to the light concentration. If you are buying, look at the label rather than the marketing.

Stronger does not always mean longer, or the same

It is tempting to assume parfum simply lasts longer than EDP, which lasts longer than EDT. Often that is roughly true, but there are important caveats.
  • The formula may be different. Many brands rework a scent for each concentration, changing the balance of notes, not just the strength. An EDT version is often fresher and more citrusy; the parfum may be warmer and rounder. Smell each one before assuming they are the same scent.
  • Projection and longevity are not the same thing. Projection (sillage) is how far the scent travels from you; longevity is how long you can still detect it on your skin. Parfum often sits closer to the skin while lasting for hours. A lighter concentration can feel louder at first because more alcohol carries it into the air.
  • The ingredients matter as much as the percentage. Heavy base notes such as woods, resins and musks last far longer than citrus and light herbal notes, whatever the concentration.
  • Your skin plays a part. Dry skin tends to hold fragrance less well than moisturised skin.

Which one should you buy?

  • For daytime, offices and warm weather, an EDT or a lighter EDP is often easier to wear without overwhelming people around you.
  • For evenings, cold weather or a scent you want close to you, an EDP or parfum may suit.
  • If you like to reapply during the day, a lighter concentration in a small bottle or travel spray works well.
  • If you are on a budget, compare the price per millilitre, then decide whether the stronger version really lasts long enough on you to justify it.

How to compare fairly

  1. Test the different concentrations on separate areas of skin, not on the same wrist.
  2. Smell them at the start, after an hour and at the end of the day.
  3. Note how far each one reaches; ask a friend if they can smell it at arm's length.
Which concentration works best on your skin? Share your experience or ask about a scent you are deciding between in the comments.

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