The Concentrations, in One Table
| Name | Typical oil concentration | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Eau fraiche | 1% to 3% | Very light, an hour or two. Uncommon. |
| Eau de cologne | 2% to 5% | The classical citrus format. Light and deliberately fleeting. |
| Eau de toilette (EDT) | 5% to 15% | The everyday standard. Brighter opening, moderate wear. |
| Eau de parfum (EDP) | 15% to 20% | The modern default. Richer, longer, more base-weighted. |
| Parfum / extrait | 20% to 40% | Densest and longest. Often quieter than an EDP, because less alcohol means less diffusion. |
These ranges are conventions rather than regulations. No standards body enforces them, brands apply them inconsistently, and a well-made EDT can easily contain more fragrance oil than a thin EDP from another house.
It Is Not Just Dilution
This is the part almost everyone gets wrong, and it explains why people are surprised by the version they did not sample.
A brand releasing an EDT and an EDP of the same fragrance does not usually take one concentrate and add different amounts of alcohol. The formulas are rebalanced. An EDP is typically weighted more towards base materials — woods, resins, musks — because those are what a higher-concentration composition needs to hold together. An EDT often carries more of the volatile top materials, because brightness is what a lighter format is for.
The result is that the EDT can smell fresher and more citrus-forward while the EDP smells warmer and deeper, from the same name and the same bottle design. Neither is a diluted version of the other; they are two related compositions.
When to Buy the EDP
The fragrance is woody, amber or otherwise base-heavy. These families benefit most from the higher concentration, because the extra material is largely in the base and that is what persists. See fragrance longevity.
You want all-day wear from one application. An EDP of a base-heavy composition can genuinely run eight hours or more.
Cost per wear matters to you. An EDP costs more per bottle and frequently less per day, because two sprays do what four of an EDT would.
Cold weather. Higher concentration suits low temperatures, where less material evaporates and projection is naturally reduced.
When to Buy the EDT
The fragrance is a citrus, aquatic or fresh composition. The EDP of a citrus mostly buys a louder opening and a similar fade, because the citrus materials are volatile at any concentration.
You prefer the brighter opening. Many EDTs are genuinely better in the first hour than their EDP counterparts, and if that is the part you wear most, buy it.
Hot weather. Heat amplifies everything, and an EDP that is elegant in November can be overwhelming in July.
Shared spaces. A lighter concentration is easier to keep at a considerate level, which matters more than most people acknowledge. See sillage vs. projection.
What About Parfum and Extrait?
The highest concentration, at 20% to 40% fragrance oil, and the one most misunderstood. Parfum does not necessarily project more than an EDP — often the opposite. Less alcohol means less of the volatile carrier that pushes material into the air, so a parfum frequently wears closer to the skin while lasting substantially longer.
That makes parfum the right choice when you want persistence without presence: long wear, low projection, noticed only by people close to you. It is also the most expensive format by a wide margin, and it is usually sold in small bottles for that reason.
A Pick for Each Side
One base-heavy fragrance where the EDP genuinely earns its concentration, and one classical EDT where the lighter format is the right one.
