Fragrances are used to give a pleasant and desirable sent to a person's body thereby increasing the self appeal and self-confidence of a person. Perfume is a liquid mixture that is a combination of organic compounds emitting a pleasant smell. Perfumes are manufactured in these major steps of collection, extraction, blending, and aging of the product. Perfumes are classified based on the concentration which divides them into five major groups of perfumes that are- Parfum, Eau de Parfum, Eau de Toilette, Eau de Cologne, and Eau Fraiche.
So now it is important that how do you choose the right perfume for yourself, as there are several options which differ a lot from each other.
As the fragrance base has a too strong smell which might be unpleasant and difficult to wear, it is diluted with water and/or alcohol. This dilution not only helps in softening the scent but also reduces its price to a great extent. And this difference in dilution itself makes different types of fragrances.
Eau de Cologne or just Cologne is a perfume which was originated from Cologne, Germany. Eau de Cologne is a spirit-citrus perfume that was launched in 1709 by Giovanni Maria Farina. He was an Italian perfume maker and named his fragrance Eau de Cologne, in honor of his new hometown. In American English “Cologne” is a generic term used for perfumes, mostly for men.
Eau de Toilette which was translated as toilet water, more specifically “grooming water” is lightly scented and is usually applied to the skin after bathing or shaving. It is also referred to as “aromatic waters”. Eau de Toilette is considered a predecessor of Eau de Cologne. It was first produced in the fourteenth century as an alcohol-based perfume in Hungary.
Eau de Cologne is a lesser concentrated fragrance as it contains only two to four percent of fragrance oil. It fades away within an hour or mostly two hours. Whereas Eau de Toilette is much more concentrated than Eau de Cologne. It contains five to fifteen percent of fragrance oils. It can stay up to three hours. Eau de Toilette is the most widely used perfume as it lasts well and is available at a fair price.
Eau de Cologne has a base of dilute ethanol which contains a mixture of citrus oils, which includes oils of lemon, orange, lime, grapefruit, blood orange, and bitter orange. It might also contain oils of lavender, rosemary, thyme, oregano, jasmine, and tobacco. Whereas Eau de Toilette is composed of alcohol and various volatile oils. Its principal ingredients are lavender water, lilac water, violet water, and spirit of myriad. Because of these ingredients, it is referred to as "toilet water".
As Eau de Cologne is less concentrated and contains fewer perfume oils, their prices are quite lower than the prices of Eau de Toilette. But this should also be kept in mind, as Eau de Toilette is more concentrated you can apply it less and still have the desired effect, whereas Eau de Cologne might take two to three extra sprays.
If you are a beginner and purchasing perfumes for the very first time, having no idea about fragrances you should go for Eau de Cologne. These perfumes are less concentrated it doesn’t have an intense smell and has a mild and soothing effect. Gradually with time, when you know which scent is yours, you should go for higher concentrated perfumes. Whereas, Eau de Toilette is made up of relatively small but an average dose of perfume oils, it is the best fragrance for day-to-day use. It is less intense than other higher concentrated perfumes and easily lasts for few hours.
As Eau de Cologne contains a lesser quantity of perfume oils, thereby having a higher ratio of alcohol in it, which is not skin-friendly. Whereas Eau de Toilette has a higher quantity of perfume oils compared to Eau de Cologne, thus lesser alcohol, which makes it safer for the skin. While applying perfume it should always be noted that we don’t apply perfume on dry skin. It might irritate our skin and cause rashes. We must always apply a good moisturizer before we apply our perfume so that it does not fade away easily.
The strength of fragrance also depends on the ingredients of it. Therefore we should look for fresh, aquatic, and citrusy ones initially. Later we should go for wood, leather, tobacco, and musk scents which are slightly heavier and intense. The same scent might also differ from person to person due to different skin types, therefore we must always give it a trial before we purchase one.