Exploring Perfume Types — A Fragrance Lover’s Guide
If you’ve ever been confused by all the perfume types on the market, you’re not alone. Why are some fragrances labeled eau de parfum, while others are called extraits, eau de toilette or cologne? What’s the difference?
It can seem bewildering, but there's a simple principle that lies behind the lingo: the difference between perfume types is the amount of perfume concentration they contain. Here’s what you need to know.
What Does Perfume Concentration Mean?
Perfume concentration is the percentage of aromatic materials in a fragrance. These percentages are standard across the perfume industry.
For example, an eau de parfum contains between 15% and 20% aromatic materials, while an extrait de parfum contains 20% to 40%. The rest of the fragrance is made up of alcohol (or carrier oils, if it’s a roll-on perfume).
This difference in percentage is what makes an eau de parfum somewhat lighter in character and also less costly than an extrait.
A fragrance’s perfume concentration also impacts its longevity. For instance, an eau de parfum will typically last four to five hours on the skin, while an extrait will last for six to eight hours or longer.
See below for the full list of perfume types, their perfume concentrations and longevity
Perfume Types Are Not About Gender
Historically, perfumes were created for anyone who wanted to wear them. There was no gender distinction between fragrances.
But that changed in the early twentieth century, when perfume houses began to market their fragrances separately to men and women. They assigned characteristics to fragrance notes (e.g., “woody notes are masculine and floral notes are feminine”) and distinguished between perfume types to support their gender-based marketing approach.
Over time, the concept of perfume types began to take on a second meaning. As a result, many people assume that, for example, colognes are meant strictly for men and an eau de parfum could only be for a woman.
This, of course, is an unnecessary restriction on fragrance choice. (Thankfully, the gender-centric approach to fragrance marketing is becoming less dominant.)
Personally, I'm not a fan of rules in perfumery. I don't subscribe to the notion that certain fragrances should only be worn at certain times of day, in specific seasons, or by specific sexes.
My philosophy? If you like it, wear it. Scent is a beautiful, vital part of life, so why limit yourself? Wear what you want, when you want to, and enjoy!
Not All “Juice” Is Created Equal
To understand what you’re getting when you buy a perfume, it’s important to know that aromatic materials (what perfumers call the “juice”) can differ greatly in terms of quality.
Conventional perfumeries mainly use synthetic fragrance molecules (aka “aroma chemicals”) to compose their fragrances. These are petrochemical-derived ingredients which are engineered in a lab to mimic the scents of nature.
The vast majority of commercial fragrances contain between 80% and 100% synthetic fragrance ingredients.
Botanical perfumers, on the other hand, create their fragrances exclusively with pure plant ingredients. As a botanical perfumer who wants to bring both beauty and well-being to others through scent, synthetic fragrance ingredients of any kind are taboo in my studio.
Read on for a rundown on the five basic perfume types
Extrait de Parfum — 20% to 40% perfume concentration. Known interchangeably as extrait de parfum, parfum or pure perfume, it is the most concentrated, most costly and longest-lasting type of fragrance. CUSANI Extraits de Parfum contain a minimum perfume concentration of 30% and will stay on the skin for six to seven hours, depending on skin chemistry, with base notes lingering for eight to twelve hours.
Eau de Parfum — 15% and 20% perfume concentration. CUSANI Eaux de Parfum contain approximately 20% perfume concentration and will stay on the skin for about four hours, depending on skin chemistry, with base notes lingering up to five hours. A popular fragrance type, eaux de parfum combine good longevity with lower price points than extraits.
Eau de Toilette — 5% and 15% perfume concentration; they typically stay on the skin for about three hours.
Eau de Cologne — 3% and 5% perfume concentration; they typically stay on the skin for about two hours.
Eau Fraiche — 1% and 3% percent perfume concentration; the lightest type of fragrance, it literally means "fresh water." These deliver a spritz of refreshing scent that lasts for five to fifteen minutes.
If you’d like more info about fragrance types, feel free to email me at claudia@cusani.com. — Claudia