Fragrance concentrations: from extrait to eau de Cologne
A fragrance's concentration is the share of perfume oil dissolved in alcohol: highest in an extrait, lowest in an eau de Cologne, with ranges that vary from one reference to the next. You'll learn what those names change for longevity and sillage, what they leave alone, and how to check it yourself on two blotter strips.
By the club team ·
Extrait, eau de parfum, eau de toilette and eau de Cologne all hold the same kind of mixture: perfume oil, the perfumer's concentrate, diluted in alcohol. What separates them is the dose. The Perfume Society's guide to scent strengths gives 20 to 30% for an extrait, 8 to 15% for an eau de parfum, 4 to 8% for an eau de toilette and 2 to 4% for a cologne, and presents its chart as a rule of thumb.
A stronger concentration usually means a more intense, longer-lasting fragrance. It does not guarantee a bigger scent trail, and it does not promise that the lighter version of the same name smells the same.
What does a fragrance's concentration mean?
Concentration is the proportion of perfume oil, or concentrate, in what is inside the bottle. Wikipedia's article on perfume describes the solvent in fine fragrance as typically ethanol or a mix of water and ethanol, and says the intensity and longevity of a fragrance depend on the concentration, intensity and longevity of the aromatic compounds used.
Diluting a concentrate does not change its recipe. At the same formula, an eau de toilette carries the same materials as an extrait, only less of each. The catch is that different strengths of one fragrance do not always share a formula.
The words themselves add to the confusion. The same Wikipedia article notes that in English “perfume” is often used for fragrances sold to women and “cologne” for those sold to men, whatever their actual strength: a man's “cologne” may well be an eau de toilette.
Extrait, eau de parfum, eau de toilette: what percentages do the sources give?
Fragrance concentration ranges differ from one reputable source to the next, and Wikipedia says outright that sources differ considerably in their definitions of perfume types. The table sets two English-language references side by side.
| Name | The Perfume Society | Wikipedia, “Perfume” | Wikipedia, “Eau de Cologne” |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extrait or parfum | 20 to 30% (extrait), 15 to 25% (perfume) | 15 to 30%, typically about 20% | not covered |
| Eau de parfum | 8 to 15% | 15 to 20%, typically about 15% | not covered |
| Eau de toilette | 4 to 8% | 5 to 15%, typically about 10% | not covered |
| Eau de cologne | 2 to 4% | 2 to 3% | typically 2 to 5% |
| Eau fraîche, mists | not on the chart | 3% or less | not covered |
Three things stand out. The ranges overlap: a 12% juice could be an eau de toilette by one reference and an eau de parfum by another. The order never changes: extrait at the top, cologne at the bottom. And some of Wikipedia's own lines carry a “citation needed” flag, a reminder to read any single figure loosely.
Where does eau de Cologne come from?
Eau de Cologne is both a historic fragrance and the name of the lightest strength. Wikipedia's article on eau de Cologne says Giovanni Maria Farina, an Italian perfumer, first mixed it in Cologne in 1709, and that the name has since become a generic term for scented formulations at a typical concentration of 2 to 5%.
The formula of eau de Cologne explains its lightness as much as its dose. In a base of dilute ethanol, it gathers citrus oils, among them bergamot, lemon, orange and neroli, distilled from orange blossom, sometimes with lavender or rosemary. These are top-note materials, among the most volatile in perfumery, so a cologne owes its brevity to what it is made of as much as to how diluted it is. It belongs to the citrus family, which the French classification opens with the first eaux de Cologne.
Does concentration change how long a fragrance lasts?
Yes, as a rule, but less than the materials themselves. The Perfume Society's general rule is that the higher the percentage, the longer a fragrance lasts on your skin. Longevity, though, starts with how volatile each ingredient is.
Wikipedia's article on perfume notes ranks materials on an evaporation scale from 1 to 100: 1 to 14 for top notes, the most volatile; 15 to 60 for middle notes; 61 to 100 for base notes. Base notes, made of large, heavy molecules, are usually not perceived until about 30 minutes after application, and some, particularly animalic and musk notes, can still be detected more than 24 hours later.
A stronger concentration puts more of every material on your skin; it does not change the order in which they evaporate. A scent built mostly on citrus is likely to stay brief even as an extrait, while one rich in woods and musks can last well as an eau de toilette. The Class on the fragrance pyramid takes that mechanism apart.
Sillage and longevity: why doesn't an extrait always project further?
Sillage and longevity measure different things. Sillage is the trail a fragrance leaves in the air behind you; longevity is how long it keeps going on your skin. The Perfume Society makes the point about pure parfum and extrait: a dab will last until the next day, but won't project as far as an eau de parfum.
The reverse happens too. An eau de toilette rich in fresh top notes can make a big impression in its first hour, then fade. If you want to be noticed across a room, the strongest bottle is not automatically the answer.
Do the eau de toilette and eau de parfum of the same fragrance smell the same?
Not always. A house may rework a version rather than simply dilute it, and The Perfume Society puts it plainly:
do be aware that different concentrations (Perfume, or Eau de Toilette, etc.) may sometimes have differing notes in them, and not simply be weaker or stronger.
The same guide suggests exploring a fragrance in all its concentrations before settling on one. Mademoiselle Bulle notes that nothing on the box tells you whether a version was diluted or rewritten, and that none of the newer names, Intense, Elixir or Parfum, is defined in the UK cosmetics rules: they signal a brand's intent, not a percentage. Before choosing between two versions, a side-by-side look at eau de parfum and eau de toilette, from longevity to price per ml walks through each criterion, from office wear to evenings out.
What does a perfume label tell you about concentration?
A perfume label gives the name of the strength, not the dose. Under the EU Cosmetic Products Regulation, (EC) No 1223/2009, ingredients are listed in descending order of weight, and the whole fragrance blend appears as a single word, “parfum” or “aroma”, with certain allergenic substances named in addition. The percentage of concentrate does not appear.
On an eau de toilette, then, “parfum” in the ingredients list is the concentrate, and its position next to alcohol and water gives a rough idea of its weight, without a number. The Class on reading a perfume label goes through every mention on the bottle.
Exercise: see what the dose changes on two blotter strips
Do this on paper, never on skin, with a fragrance you already own and two blotter strips (or two strips of blotting paper).
- Mark the strips A and B in pencil, with the time.
- Spray A once and B three times, from the same distance.
- Smell A then B straight away, then after 15 minutes, one hour, three hours and the next morning. Each time, write one word for strength and one for the smell.
- Look for two things: does B last longer than A, and does the smell go through the same stages in the same order?
- If you own an eau de toilette and an eau de parfum of the same name, repeat with one spray of each, and this time listen for different notes, not just a different volume.
A heavier dose on paper is not exactly a stronger concentration, but it isolates what concentration acts on. If the stages arrive in the same order on A and B, you have seen what it leaves alone. Share your notes in the Wearing Fragrance circle.
Further reading
- Cologne to Parfum: your quick-read, easy guide to scent strengths, The Perfume Society perfumesociety.org
- Perfume, Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
- Eau de Cologne, Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
- Note (perfumery), Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
- Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products, EUR-Lex eur-lex.europa.eu
- Les Familles Olfactives, Société Française des Parfumeurs (text in French) sfp-parfumeurs.com
What members say
did the A/B strips during prep. B was louder for sure but the order was the same on both, citrus first then the woody stuff, like the same sauce reduced or not. your gonna laugh but strip B was still going next morning by the pass
Why does my eau de toilette feel louder than my eau de parfum for the first hour? I thought it would be the other way round.
Fresh top notes are often the loudest part of an eau de toilette and they leave quickly, while an eau de parfum can sit closer and last longer, so the first hour isn't the whole story. Try the two-strip exercise with both and check them again in the afternoon.
Aye, it's like a dram with a wee drop of water, ken: less strength, same whisky. Just don't loose track of which strip is which.
Lovely clear Class. The two-strip test is going on my list for the next wet afternoon.
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