What is the difference between eau de parfum and eau de toilette? EDP vs EDT?

What is the difference between eau de parfum and eau de toilette? EDP vs EDT?

Using perfume is for many people a complement not only to styling, but even to image. Often, therefore, these products are used on a daily basis, but knowledge about them is not at all very large and widespread. Not everyone realizes, for example, how broad the family of fragrance products actually is. And the most interesting thing is how perfumed water differs from eau de toilette. Without knowing this, it is easy to get a product whose quality you will not be satisfied/satisfied with.

Woda perfumowana

Coco Chanel Mademoiselle

Eau de Parfum is not a perfume!

To begin with, however, it is worth realizing the fact that a product that is commonly called a perfume is actually a perfumed water, as evidenced primarily by the marking on the packaging, usually in French - eau de parfum. True perfume - parfum, is very difficult to find. You won't find them in an ordinary drugstore or even a perfumery, at the same time, often even the biggest perfume creators don't release such products on the market.

Why? They are extremely exclusive. True perfumes are characterized by the highest concentration of fragrance oils among all fragrance products. It usually reaches 20-43%. This means that such products have an extraordinary power, incomparable to that of common "perfumes", which is really perfumed waters, not to mention even lighter fragrances such as eau de toilette or cologne. What does this mean? 

Such perfumes are extremely long-lasting, even on skin they can last for several days, and on fabrics for much longer. This, of course, translates into their price - a small flacon of real perfume will cost at least several thousand zlotys. Of course, the audience for such products is very small. And no wonder, since such products are not very practical.

Their advantage is that a minimal amount is enough to spread a beautiful fragrance around, but the annoyance can be that it is easy to overdo it. Besides, rather no one needs a fragrance that lasts for several days on the body - after all, it will have to be washed off quickly by taking a bath anyway. Perfumed waters are therefore much more popular. And what are their characteristics?

Black Opium

Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium

Eau de Parfum - the most popular product of the fragrance family

Perfumed waters are incomparably cheaper than perfumes, which is mainly due to the lower concentration of fragrance oils, up to 10-15%. The difference is therefore significant, although, of course, among such "perfumes", especially really good ones, you can also find very long-lasting fragrances, the quality of which will satisfy even the most demanding people. In addition, perfumed waters do not cost very much. Of course, this is a relative issue, nevertheless their prices are mostly attainable for many people, especially since there are many places and opportunities to buy them even cheaper.

Versace Bright Crystal

Versace Bright Crystal

Eau de parfum tends to be more popular than eau de toilette, which has an even lower concentration of fragrances - though of course this is not always a drawback, as discussed below. 

Is it worth choosing eau de toilette? 

People who like to surround themselves with a beautiful fragrance usually want it to be strongly noticeable. So why use eau de toilette, which has a concentration of fragrance oils of only 5-10%? Contrary to appearances, the advantages of such a solution are many. This is best evidenced by the fact that many manufacturers simultaneously release the same products in men's and women's versions of EDP, or eau de parfum, and EDT, or eau de toilette. The former is stronger, the latter - lighter.

Not always at the same time, eau de toilette is much cheaper. And what are the differences? First of all, by the concentration, as was mentioned, of the fragrance oils, so it is simply lighter in sensation and often also a little less long-lasting. However, it does not stop there. Sometimes manufacturers also make some modifications to the composition, for example, in cases where the eau de parfum contains such strong-smelling ingredients that even in a lower concentration in eau de toilette would simply be too strong.

This usually applies to base notes that smell the strongest, such as sandalwood, ambergris or musk. Interestingly, some compositions consist of such strong fragrances that they are only found in the EDT version, as they would simply be irritating and difficult to tolerate in higher concentrations. Similarly, others have only an EDP variant, as they consist of such delicate-smelling ingredients that creating an EDT version would make no sense - such a product would be too ephemeral, practically undetectable.

Christian Dior Dolce Vita

Christian Dior Dolce Vita

When to choose eau de parfum and when to choose eau de toilette? 

Manufacturers releasing the same or nearly identical fragrances in both versions are not only aimed at allowing customers to choose according to their own taste whether they want a lighter or stronger scent. As a rule, eau de toilette is designed for use in summer, when strong scents can be tiring, while perfumed wraps up a deep fragrance in autumn and winter.

For this reason, the two versions can sometimes differ in their ingredients, which are attributed to different seasons. Spring and summer versions are usually enriched with crisp notes of fruit, refreshing herbs, marine or ozonic, while for winter the fragrances chosen are usually gourmet, or edible, like vanilla and cocoa, as well as musk, ambergris and others associated with warmth, like chypre ginger and various kinds of herbs. 

It doesn't stop there, however. Although not everyone knows it, while others simply don't pay attention to it, lighter fragrances should be used for the daytime to avoid tiring those around you, while heavier ones should be reserved for the evening. Hardly anyone follows this rule, especially in Poland (elegant French women, for example, do not allow themselves to do so - that is, residents of the country from which the perfume comes).

However, it is worth assimilating, because using heavy perfume in the summer, as well as in the daytime, from the very morning, can give a headache, not only to the user or wearer, but also to those around her, and is in bad taste. Used in the evening, on the other hand, a light eau de toilette can "disappear" without a trace among the perfumes of other female partygoers. Of course, at the same time, fragrances should also be matched to the styling - it is difficult to imagine that a light, fleeting fragrance would match an evening outfit.

Dolce Gabana Dolce Garden

Dolce & Gabana Dolce Garden

Favorite scent anytime

Ideally, the option of using both EDT and EDP is precisely the right one for those who want to keep the above in mind, and at the same time would not want to part with their beloved fragrance at any time of the day or year. This, too, is one of the more important goals of manufacturers releasing their fragrances in both variants.

Having an Eau de Toilette and an Eau de Parfum with the same or almost identical fragrance, one can smell it always - lighter during the day and summer, stronger in the evening and winter. This is ideal: the scent will never be tiresome, and at the same time its durability will be satisfactory in each case. In addition, it will have a positive effect on the image - a person who is heavily perfumed and suffocates his surroundings is perceived as quite tacky. 

It is also of great practical importance - choosing eau de toilette in winter, for example, usually makes the fragrance seem overly light, and then more of it is consumed to feel and spread it more strongly.

Christian Dior Sauvage

Christian Dior Sauvage

EDP and EDT - bring out their potential

Of course, the strength of both eau de parfum and eau de toilette also largely depends on the ingredients used in their production, not just the concentration of fragrance oils. For it is clear that some substances smell very distinct, while others smell faintly. Therefore, it may turn out that some perfumed waters, for example, floral, are weakly perceptible, while eau de toilette, based, for example, on herbs, shock with their durability and excellent projection. 

In addition, of great importance is how the perfume is used. Coco Chanel used to say that a woman should perfume where she would like to be kissed, but a much better option would be to apply fragrance to the places where the blood pulsates. These are warmer than the rest of the body, and at a higher temperature the scent is more potent, whether it be a strong perfume or a light eau de toilette. The scent will also last longer. These areas include the sides of the neck, the skin behind the ears, the wrists, the bends of the elbows, as well as the area between the breasts and below the knees.

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