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A magazine about scent and what the label says

PARFUMÉRIA ZET

The Lab

Concentrations

An eau de toilette and a parfum with the same name differ in their share of fragrance compound, and often in formula too. Move the slider from the lightest form to the most concentrated.

Concentration slider

Eau de Toilette

Indicatively about 5–15% fragrance compound

Character
The most common form for men’s fragrances and many women’s. More prominent top notes, a lighter whole.
When worn
Moderately; the heart shows sooner and the base is softer.

The ranges side by side

Scale from 0 to 30% fragrance compound

  1. Eau Fraîche up to about 3%
  2. Eau de Cologne about 2–5%
  3. Eau de Toilette about 5–15%
  4. Eau de Parfum about 15–20% (some houses less)
  5. Parfum / Extrait de parfum about 15–30% (often 20–30%)

What these figures do not mean

  • They are not a legal standard. No regulation lays down, for example, what percentage an eau de parfum must contain. One brand’s EdT can be stronger than another brand’s EdP.
  • They do not measure “strength”. Longevity and projection also depend on the composition: woody and musky molecules last longer than citrus, whatever the concentration.
  • Versions differ in formula too. An eau de parfum and an eau de toilette with the same name often do not share an identical formula, just a different dose.