Types of Fragrances

The terms Perfume, Eau de Parfum, Eau de Toilette and Eau de Cologne are used to distinguish between fragrances with different concentration levels of aromatic compounds- that is, the natural essential oils or perfume oils that create the scent. The concentration of the oils affects the intensity and longevity of the fragrance in its final form.

Aromatic oils need to be diluted for use in a fragrance because of high chemical levels that would be harmful to the skin. Also, the scents in pure perfume oils are much stronger than consumers find pleasing to wear. Usually, the oils are diluted with a solvent made of ethanol and water. Other common solvents are neutral-smelling oils such as coconut oil or liquid waxes such as jojoba.

As the percentage of aromatic compounds increases, so does the intensity and longevity of the scent created. This allows a perfumer to create different strengths of the same fragrance.

Perfume, or Parfum, has the highest concentration of oils, followed by Eau de Parfum, then Eau de Toilette, and lastly Eau de Cologne, although the final two terms are often used interchangeably. It is a common trend that women’s fragrances are more often Perfumes or Eau de Parfums, where men’s scents are usually sold in the more diluted forms.

Different perfumers however assign different amounts of oils to each of their scents, such that although the concentration of an Eau de Parfum will be higher than that of an Eau de Toilette within the same range, between different perfume houses it is possible for an Eau de Toilette from one perfumer to be stronger than an Eau de Parfum made by another.