05/01/2014
Question: I often hear from salespeople that their perfumes are 'oil-based,' what does it mean? And what are the differences between a perfume and a cologne?
Answer: This is a common mistake or fallacy that marketers advertise or sell their product since all fragrance products are made of fragrance oils, thus making them 'oil-based.' Fragrance oils are aromatic compounds that are derived from plants, minerals, animals or synthetic sources.
However, the amount or concentration of fragrance oil in a fragrance product define the type: parfum has the highest fragrance oil concentration from 20-30%, eau de parfum at 15-20%, eau de toilette at 8-15%, eau de cologne at 5-10% , eau fraiche or body mist at 3-8% and after-shave lotions at 1-3%. Most of these products are diluted in alcohol.
Parfum (or perfume) with the highest fragrance oil concentration, is therefore the most expensive and lasts the longest on skin. It is usually diluted in a combination of a carrying oil and/or alcohol. Because of its viscosity, it is difficult to spray and are bottled in glass with a glass applicator. Since oil corrodes plastic, the bottle cannot also contain any corrodable material (such as the plastic tubes of a spray or atomizer). You may have seen expensive parfums such as Chanel No. 5 or Joy by Jean Patou with a stylish glass bottle cover with a glass applicator. Parfums are dabbed either on the neck, wrists, behind-the-ears or cleavage or pulse points.
Eau de parfum has the second fragrance oil concentration and are diluted in alcohol and water. These are normally bottled in glass with a spray atomizer or glass with an applicator, and applied on pulse points too. If the bottle contains plastic, use this product quickly since the perfume will corrode the plastic and change its scent over time. This is why some fragrance products changes in color and scent because the fragrance oil an become 'rancid.'
Eau de toilette (or EDT) is a popular fragrance product and can be sprayed easily because it is available with a spray atomizer. Fragrace oil is diluted in a mixture of alcohol, water and other ingredients (such as fixatives and colorants) and are bottled in glass or non-corrossive metal. Alcohol helps in spraying evenly the diluted fragrance oils to your body, usually the neck and chest area. Some expensive perfumes have a cheaper EDT equivalent which is more accessible to consumers.
Eau de cologne is just like EDT but has less fragrance oil concentration, has less alcohol and relatively more water content. It is bottled in glass or metal and because of its lower fragrance oil component, it can be bottled in plastic, therefore a cheaper alternative to EDT. A product similar to eau de cologne and are often packaged in aluminum spray cans are 'deo-colognes.' Colognes are normally marketed to men.
Eau fraiche (literally 'fresh water') has low fragrance oil and highest water content in relation to alcohol. This makes it ideal for young adults and even children. 'Baby colognes' are actually a type of eau fraiche. It is normally packaged in plastic bottles and are either sprayed as a body mist, or splashed liberally to the body. Floral, fruity, citrus and sweet scents are commonly marketed to young women.
Lastly, after-shave lotions are not really a fragrance product but are used to by men after shaving for a variety of reasons. Apart from its fragrant quality, these products contain soothing ingredients like aloe vera and menthol. The alcohol also closes and sanitizes the pores of the skin after shaving. Due to its low fragrance oil content, after-shave lotions last only a couple of hours on the skin.
