In our 15 years of working in the fragrance and beauty industry, the one question we still get asked every day is the difference between Eau De Parfum (EDP) & Eau De Toilette (EDT). These terms simply refer to the potency of pure oil concentrate that is in every bottle. The stronger the potency the more the oils react to the natural oil from your body. There are several more potency levels that exist, although the majority of perfumes and colognes sold today are sold as an EDT or EDP. Here are the other types of perfumes and colognes available;
Pure Parfum/Parfum: This is the most potent & strongest of all of the versions. This has the most oil concentrate per bottle. A fragrance is considered a pure perfume/parfum when it has more than 25% oil concentration in the bottle.
Pros: Needs the least amount of spray for the longest-lasting smell
Cons: Can be expensive and overwhelming
Typical time on skin: 24 hours-36 hours
Most Popular Examples: Creed Millesime Imperial, Tom Ford Tobacco Oud, Dior Sauvage
Eau De Parfum: This is the 2nd most potent of all of the versions of fragrances. These have between 12-20 % of oil concentrate per bottle, depending on the brand. A majority of women’s fragrances are EDP typically because they are lighter smells and need more oil concentrate to help the smell last longer.
Pros: A little goes a long way, so a bottle can last a while
Cons: Longevity depends on body chemistry. Typically won't last as long as EDP
Typical time on skin: 12-24 hours
Most Popular Examples: Prada Candy, YSL Mon Paris, Jimmy Choo Urban Hero
Eau De Toilette: 3rd most potent and by far the best seller of the bunch. Approximately 65% of our retail sales have come from EDT fragrances. Where EDP has about 12-20% oil concentration per bottle, EDT has between 5-15% per bottle, depending on the brand. Most men's colognes are EDT because they are made with strong, musky ingredients like tobacco and wood so they don't need help lasting long. Wink wink.
Pros: Typically smell very light, clean, subtle. Very lowkey and subtle.
Cons: Best used on male scents, women’s EDT tend to be very light
Typical time on skin: 6-18 hours
Most Popular Examples: Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue, Versace Eau Fraiche, Tommy Girl
Eau De Cologne: The least potent of the bunch. Typically you won't find many new colognes or perfumes in an EDC. These typically are reserved for the muskier scents, which have very heavy and strong base notes. An EDC will have between 5-7% of the oil concentrate in the bottle.
Pros: Typically older smells, bottles can last for years. Like a good scotch or rare wine.
Cons: Very pungent and musky smells, tread carefully
Typical Time on skin: 3-12 hours
Most Popular Examples: Jovan Musk, BRUT, 4711
In Summation, there are many different types of fragrances that are available but ultimately it depends on how your body reacts to smells. Always know what ingredients suit your body chemistry and more importantly which ones don't. Our inventory is catered to help you find the best smell for you at a fraction of the cost.