What are the different strengths of fragrances?

Wondering what the difference is between Parfum, Eau de Toilette (EDT), Eau de Parfum (EDP), Eau Fraiche?

The difference between fragrance types is usually in the amount of essential oils used in the mix. The higher the percentage of essential oils, the longer your fragrance will last, and the less you need to apply or reapply. Here’s a list of the common types: 

• Perfume (Parfum): This class of fragrance has the highest level of fragrant essence oil concentration, usually anywhere between 15-40% concentration. That’s why these types of perfumes command the highest price levels as compared to all the other types. Of all scents, Parfums last the longest, typically anywhere between 6 to 8 hours, maybe even longer, depending on many factors including, your skin type and chemistry, diet, hormone levels, sweat, application area, time of day and climate conditions.  Parfums are usually less harsh to people that have sensitive skin as they contain far less alcohol than other fragrance types.

• Eau De Parfum(s) (EDPs): This class of fragrance is lighter than Perfume, with an 15-20% concentration of fragrant essence oils, but it still has long lasting characteristics.  On average, an EDP lasts for 3 to 5 hours. EDPs are among the most common types of sold fragrances and they are typically suitable for everyday wear.  Like pure Parfum, EDPs are better for people with sensitive skin types because they contain less amounts of alcohol than other types. EDPs are considered by some to be more suitable for evening/nightwear. EDPs are less expensive than their Parfum versions.

• Eau De Toilette(s) (EDTs): This class of fragrance is lighter than EDPs, with a 4-15% concentration of fragrant essence oils. On average, EDTs usually lasts for 2 to 4 hours, and are of course cheaper than EDPs. EDTs are considered by some to be more suitable for daywear while EDPs are more geared towards evening/nightwear. The term ‘Eau De Toilette’ came from the French term "faire sa toilette" which means getting ready!

• Eau De Cologne(s) (EDCs): This class of fragrance is lighter than EDT, often referred to just as ‘Cologne’.  This class of fragrance typically has a 2-5% concentration of fragrant essence oils and typically lasts for 1 to 2 hours after application.  Perhaps this is why Colognes are typically available in large bottles as there could be a need for frequent application more than the previous mentioned types. Colognes are usually light and have typical fresh masculine scent.

• Eau Fraiche: This class of fragrance contains the lowest concentration of fragrant essence oils, typically between 1-3%. A good example of this type of fragrance would be aftershaves.  Once applied, an aftershave scent typically wears off in about an hour which means your body chemistry doesn’t have much time to interact with it, and therefore, is less likely to alter the way it smells after application.