Choosing the right fragrance is not easy. Whether you want to pick a new signature fragrance or add it to your perfume wardrobe, you have much to consider.
When exploring different fragrances, you will look for perfumes that embody your true colour and adapt to different seasons and occasions.
During your search for popular perfume brands, it is crucial to know different forms of fragrance and which preferences and situations they are best suited to.
What Eau de Toilette (EDT) Is
Eau de Toilette is simply water from the Toilette. It refers to scented water used to perfume our hair and body. Like all fragrances, it is a mix of a small amount of water, alcohol, and intensely scented oils. Fragranced oils alone can be too intense to perfume our skin directly, and the mix of liquids often creates a wearable and balanced scent.
Typically, it combines about 10% of fragranced oils, which create a unique note of our chosen scent. Scents are usually fresh and light, gradually fading over the course of a few hours. It makes a great summer and everyday scent, and it never feels intrusive.
Why Opt for Eau de Toilette?
- Suitable for on-the-go applications
- Less costly
- Fresher fragrances
What Eau de Parfum (EDP) is
This translates as water containing a more concentrated amount of fragranced oil, which defines scents. It contains more than 15% of the essential oils, not to mention that its increased purity often attracts higher price tags.
The scent lasts longer, makes it suitable for special occasions or romantic evenings, and feels more intimate. Eau de Parfum lingers longer, and you may use it more sparingly than Toilette.
If you have sensitive skin, choosing Parfum can minimise the likelihood of adverse reactions since decreased levels of alcohol are kinder or tender to the skin.
You can wear it any time of the day, but its evocative scent is a winning option for the evening. Once it settles on your skin, the heart and base notes take centre stage.
Why Opt for Parfum?
- More suitable for sensitive skin
- Long-lasting
- Richer scents
When to Wear Toilette and Parfum
EDT fragrances are usually flavoured for daily wear, whether out to run errands, at home, or in the office. They are suitable for spritzing before we walk out of our doors for the day, but because of their lighter scent, they can slightly fade with time.
But if you are going on a night date or any other special occasion, you can opt for EDP. Its fragrances have a great effect and often leave a very lasting impression. Not to mention, they don’t fade throughout the day. Because of that, EDP is a perfect option for whiling away the hours over drinks.
Differences
People get confused about whether they may use EDTs on themselves or if it’s for bathrooms. However, the differences between EDP and EDT are clear.
For instance, EDP provides a more long-lasting and potent scent than EDT. Because of its lighter composition, you might need to reapply EDT more frequently to maintain its presence. On the other hand, EDP just requires fewer touch-ups.
However, the desired fragrance intensity, personal preference, and skin chemistry also play an important role in deciding between EDT and EDP. Here are more key differences between the two:
1. Perfume Concentration
On average, we may get a solid five hours of our fragrances working, and still, EDP will contain a low alcohol amount that guarantees skin tolerance. Usually, EDP is made to last on our skin without giving us a headache or transferring the scent to someone’s neck after giving them a hug. The fragrance will last from morning to evening and will be detectable when we undress at night. Generally, its oil concentration is between 15% and 20%.
On the other hand, EDT has a concentration between 5% and 15%. Compared to EDP, it is cheaper and lasts for about three hours.
2. Application Art
We can wear both EDP and EDT in various ways. To use EDT fragrances, you need to do the following:
- Begin with a lighter mist on the clothing or skin.
- Apply it to damp skin after a bath or shower to ensure the scent lasts longer.
- Reapply it throughout the day because the lighter fragrance concentration makes it less overpowering.
Remember that a little will always go a long way when applying EDP. Begin with a gentle dab or spray on pulse points, like behind the ears, wrists, or neck. Those areas often generate heat, thus ensuring it diffuses the scent throughout the day. To improve your fragrance longevity, here are tips that can help:
- Don’t rub your fragrance onto the skin. Doing so will weaken the scent and cause it to break down.
- Layer your fragrance with products in the same collection for more noticeable scents. These products may include shower gels or body lotions.
- Test your fragrance on less conspicuous areas before you spray it on your clothes to avoid potential staining.
- Apply fragrance to your clothing and hair for more improved experience.
Which Is Better?
There is no clear winner in this contest. Your decision depends on what you want from your fragrance. If you want something lighter, you can opt for EDT, which has a lower perfume concentration.
But if you want a more lasting and stronger scent, EDP is a suitable option. Because of its high concentration, its fragrance lasts about 6 hours, making it suitable for night dates.
In conclusion, the key differences between EDP and EDT are the perfume oil concentration and the scent’s longevity. A spritz of EDP contains about 20% scented oils and usually retains its fragrance for about six hours.
On the other hand, EDT has about 15% of perfume scents and fades within three hours. Precise compositions vary between business brands, but it’s a safer bet to think of EDTs as fresher and lighter scents, while a parfum tends to be denser and richer because of its high concentration.
