Perfume Basics Whats The Difference Between Perfume Parfum And Cologne

The very name “perfume” speaks of the long tradition of using pleasant fragrances. Perfume comes from the Latin phrase meaning “through smoke” because of its origin in the incense used in temples. The oldest fragrance bottles date back 1000 years to the ancient Egyptians who invented glass.

Today, the term perfume is a general term for a fragrance that is made up of a mixture of scents, fixatives, and solvents. Scents are usually made of essential oils and chemicals that hold a aroma, which are often derived from natural sources like flowers, roots, leaves and other plant matter; animal sources like musk or fatty compounds that retain fragrance; or synthetic compounds.

Fixatives are used in perfume to make the fragrances last longer and to keep them remain stable over time. Solvents are added to extract and purify aromatic compounds and to prevent bacteria from forming in the bottle. Solvents also allow perfumes to have the right consistency and texture for application. Without solvents, it would be impossible to spray a bit of fragrance on the skin.

The ratio of aromatic compound to fixatives and solvents determines the classification of the perfume. These terms break down as follows:

Perfume Extract or Parfum- This type of fragrance has the highest concentration of scent to additives, with twenty to forty percent of the blend consisting of aromatic compounds.

Eau de Parfum – Fragrances categorized as Eau de Parfum consist of ten to thirty percent aromatic compounds.

Eau de Toilette – Eau de Toilette technically has between five and twenty percent fragrance in its blend.

Eau de Cologne – This perfume has the smallest ration of aroma to other ingredients, usually between two and three percent.

Other Scented Products – Aftershave, hand lotion, and other scented products generally have the lowest concentration of scented compounds – perhaps one or two percent.

Perfumes with a higher concentration of scented compounds tend to be more expensive for three major reasons. First, the aroma compounds are the most precious fragrance ingredients; their base costs tend to be higher than fixatives or solvents, and extraction and refinement can bump their prices even higher.

Secondly, most high-quality perfumes are not thrown together haphazardly. They require the services of a “nose” or professional scent blender to create a unique and successful fragrance. The development costs that go into the aroma blends make them automatically more expensive.

Finally, a higher concentration of scent means that the fragrance lasts longer on the skin and requires fewer applications. This means that investing in a more expensive perfume could be cost-effective.

However, this does not necessarily mean that a perfume extract is the only “good” concentration to buy. Many people prefer the lighter, airier scents offered by an Eau de Toilette or Eau de Cologne, especially if they have allergies. These are especially popular choices for men, who typically do not want a heavy and conspicuous scent. Other people will be unable to keep a perfumed scent for more than a few minutes with a more diluted fragrance.

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