EDP? EDT? Why Can't I Just Have The Perfume?

 

 

When I first started buying perfume I never knew what was what... EDP, EDT, PDT?!? I was always embarrassed when I needed to ask shop assistants what they stood for. I wondered if I was the only person who didn't understand all these terms, so I asked friends and family to see whether they knew - but they didn't either! So I looked them up and found out for myself. Luckily, you can save yourself that trouble - you can find my guide to the different strengths of fragrance right here - I hope you find it useful!

 

Generally speaking there are four main concentrations of ladies' fragrance, each one being very different from the other:

 

Perfume/Parfum

 

Although most people refer to Women's fragrance in general as ‘Perfume', only a small number of women's fragrances are actually pure perfume. Perfume consists of a 15-30% concentration of scented compounds and is the strongest fragrance available. It is the most concentrated and smoothest of the four types.

 

Although perfume is the most expensive type of fragrance to buy, you only need to use a small amount to achieve a very potent scent. Perfume lasts longer than the other types of fragrance, typically for up to 6 hours, depending on skin type.

 

Parfum/Perfume De Toilette (PDT)

 

Perfume de Toilette (PDT) is ladies' fragrance with strength in between a perfume and an Eau de Parfum. They are not as common as EDP or EDT, and confusingly a few companies use the term to describe an Eau de Toilette.

 

Eau De Parfum (EDP)

 

Eau de Parfum is lighter than perfume, and consists of 8-15% concentration of scented compounds. EDP is one of the most common strengths of concentration you will see online or in fragrance retailers. An EDP scent will usually fade after four hours, but the base notes can linger for a 24 hour period. Fragrances with an EDP concentration are perfect if you need an all day scent. It is usually less expensive than perfume or PDT.

 

Eau De Toilette (EDT)

 

Eau de Toilette is a lighter, more delicate fragrance, with a 4-8% concentration. EDT is another very common concentration of scented compounds, and is most suited to everyday use. Some EDT fragrances last quite a while but generally speaking, EDTs are better suited to evening use, when the scent isn't needed for as long. It is normally less expensive than Eau de Parfum, and lasts for 2 to 4 hours.