Different Types Of Perfumes And Things You Didn’t Know About Them

Think you knew everything about perfume? Well think again!

You are about to read some things about perfumes that were right under your nose but you never knew about.

Most of you might know that the substance used to make yourself smell good or more commonly known as “perfume” is a fragrant liquid typically made from essential oils extracted from flowers and spices in the good old days, but now more commonly made with chemicals, oils and alcohol.

 

We all love wearing perfumes and smelling good and most of the time it’s to give out a good impression on yourself to others but sometimes its just to smell good and feel good about yourself, but moreover to have a certain smell that gives you a soothing rushing sensation of an old memory!

How much do you really know about perfumes and the fragrances that you spray on your body?

Well here are some interesting things you didn’t know about perfumes that will help you be more aware of what you spray on yourself, and even help you choose a better fragrance!

 

 

FIRST OF ALL LETS GO THROUGH THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF PERFUMES

 

 

 

Parfum

Perfum, also known as extrait de perfume or pure perfume, has the highest fragrance concentration.

The perfume will contain anywhere from 15% to 40% fragrance however concentration which is known as the strength that a perfume has obtained, is generally between 20% to 30% for most perfumes.

Of all scents, perfumes last the longest; usually six to eight hours.

Perfume generally also commands the highest price of all the fragrance types due to the high concentration of fragrance.

People with sensitive skin may do better with perfumes as they have far less alcohol than other fragrance types and therefore are not as likely to dry out the skin.

 

Eau de Parfum

 

After perfume, eau de parfum (EDP) has the next highest concentration of fragrance.

Eau de perfume generally has a fragrance concentration of between 15% and 20%.

On average, Eau de perfume will last for four to five hours. It is also generally less expensive than perfume and while it does have a higher concentration of alcohol than perfume, it is better for sensitive skin than other fragrance types.

Eau de parfum is one of the most common fragrance types and is suitable for everyday wear.

 

 

Eau de Toilette

 Eau de toilette (EDT) has a fragrance concentration of between 5% and 15%.

It is cheaper than Eau de perfume and is one of the most popular types of fragrance available.

EDT fragrance will normally last for two to three hours.

Eau de toilette is considered by some to be for daywear while Eau de perfume is considered nightwear.

So the term eau de toilette came from the French term “faire sa toilette” which means getting ready.

Eau de Cologne

Eau de cologne, or EDC, has a much lower concentration of fragrance than the above types of perfume.

EDC generally has a 2% to 4% percent concentration of fragrance and a high concentration of alcohol.

Well, it is cheaper than other types of fragrance however the scent generally only lasts for up to two hours.

EDC generally comes in bigger bottles and more of the fragrance needs to be used.

Originally eau de cologne referred to a traditional recipe that used herb and citrus notes with little anchoring with base notes.

 

Eau Fraiche

Eau fraiche is similar to eau de cologne in that the scent will generally last for up to two hours.

Eau Fraiche has an even lower concentration of fragrance than eau de cologne, normally only 1% to 3%.

So while Eau Fraiche has a low fragrance concentration, it does not contain a high amount of alcohol. Along with the fragrance, the remainder of Eau Fraiche is mostly water.

Also along with the types of perfume listed above, there are mists, aftershaves, and other types of fragrances available.

Higher-end fragrances can cost a significant amount of money so doing research beforehand will ensure that you get the type of fragrance you are looking for.

Along with fragrance types, there are also fragrance notes which determine the final scent.

With all of the types and scents available, shopping for perfume is not always easy but it is possible.

 

WHAT ARE PERFUMES MADE OF?

 

 

The Ingredients

Before the manufacturing process can, there are many raw materials that must be gathered.

In addition to fruits, spices, resins, leaves, gums, balsams, and grasses, flowers are often essential because it’s difficult to make perfume without floral essences.

High-end luxury brands, such as Chanel, for instance, own their own flower fields to make sure they have enough product for their perfumes.

Sometimes, animal products might be present in perfumes, like think ambergris from sperm whales and musk from male deer. Because not all scents are always readily available in nature, synthetic chemicals might be used to mimic them.

This can save the lives of animals that are killed for their oils and is also beneficial if there’s a bad plant harvest.

 

Extraction Methods

It’s the oils from flowers and plant material that are used to make perfume.

To separate the oil from the plant parts, it must be extracted. There are various ways to do this.

The easiest method is expression, during which plants are basically squeezed until the oil releases.

Enfleurage and maceration are other ways to extract plant oils.

These methods use grease or warmed fats to extract the oils.

You can also boil the plant parts or subject them to steam to get to the oils. This process is called steam distillation.

Some manufacturers also use solvent extraction. During this method, plant parts are dissolved in benzene and exposed to ethyl alcohol, which is then burned off so the perfume oil remains.

If you ever wonder why perfume is so expensive, keep in mind that a 15-mililiter bottle of French perfume requires the oil that’s extracted from about 660 roses.

Blending the Oils

To create a certain perfume scent, experts must do extensive testing and mixing.

It can take several years and hundreds of ingredients before they come to the desired formula.

This formula is used to blend the freshly extracted oils. After blending the oils to get the desired scent, alcohol is mixed into the concoction to dilute the ingredients.

The amount of alcohol that’s added determines whether the liquid will be a cologne, perfume, or eau de toilette.

Cologne is the lease potent of the three. It contains the most alcohol and up to 10 percent essential oils. Eau de toilette has up to 15 percent essential oil and contains less alcohol than cologne.

Perfume, which contains the least alcohol, has the strongest scent, with up to 40 percent essential oils.

 

The Aging Process

 After the oils are extracted, blended, and mixed with alcohol, the concoction is ready for the aging process. During this period, the perfume is set aside in a dark, cool area.

It stays here for several months to one year without being disturbed. The aging process helps bind the alcohol and oils together.

After the aging process, an expert will test the scent to make sure that it’s correct. Usually, the smell will be stronger than it was before the aging process.

Any desired adjustment and additional blending can take place at this point. Perfume only ends up in department stores after it’s been thoroughly tested to ensure that the scent is what it should be.

 

The Difference Between Natural And Synthetic Perfumes

Well of course the biggest difference between natural and synthetic perfumes lies in the way they are made.

Plants, trees or animals comprise the basic elements of natural scents and run the gamut from lilac to sandalwood to deer musk.

But synthetic fragrances may smell amazing, but it’s what you don’t know that might be causing you harm.

Also synthetic fragrances are created in a laboratory, and although it may not be common knowledge, Mother Nature has absolutely nothing to do with almost two-thirds of the most popular fragrances made today that are used in perfumes and other scented products.

 

How do these effect the environment?

 While there might be a mental tendency to assume natural is better, when it comes to fragrance creation that is not necessarily the case.

For example, massive deforestation has resulted from the production of natural sandalwood and rosewood and the utilization of natural musk requires painful extraction from deer and other forest creatures.

All of these scents can be re-created with ease in the lab.