Guide to Fragrance and Perfume Strengths
Perfumes and Fragrances vary in strength, and the concentration affects the price of the blend.
The main ingredient of perfume is an alcoholic water solution. The stronger the perfume, the more scent their is compared to the amount of water.
- Parfum is the strongest concentration and is blended to create an extremely long lasting fragrance from very little liquid. Parfum is the most expensive of the blends and can retail for over £100.
- Eau de Parfum (EDP), is the second strongest version and provides a long lasting fragrance at a more reasonable price.
- Eau de Toilette (EDT) is the most popular perfume concentration. Eau de Toilette has a higher water concentration and contains fewer essential oils, and is usually sold as a spray.
- Eau de Cologne (EDC) is a weaker solution than Eau de Toilette, and contains fewer of the essential oils which create the scent.
- Eau Fraiche is the weakest solution, and is often called Perfumed Mist due to its low fragrance content, and is alchol free. Eau Fraiche is most popular during the summer months.
The various strengths of the blends above are shown in the table below:
| Blend Type | Concentration | Evaporation Time |
| Parfum | 15% - 30% perfume oil | 6 - 8 Hours |
| Eau de Parfum | 8% - 15% perfume oil | 5 - 7 Hours |
| Eau de Toilette | 4% - 8% perfume oil | 4 - 6 Hours |
| Eau de Cologne | 3% - 5% perfume oil | 2 - 3 Hours |