Perfume, Cologne – What’s the difference?

The “perfume counters” are stocked with a wide selection of perfumes intended to accentuate the human scent. Many of these counters are found in pharmacies, department stores, or online outlets. The term “perfume counter” is a vague term to define these products, since many of the so-called perfumes are actually cheap imitations of the real perfume. Many of these variations are not as pure as the similar discount brand version of the designer fragrance, with a label that resembles the true brand.

After all, what is a perfume? Essential oils that are extracted from various plants form the basis of a perfume. Do you remember the famous gold, frankincense and myrrh that the Magi brought to the baby Jesus? Frankincense was a fragrant resin from a tree that grew in East Africa and was burned by ancient people for its scent like we burn aromatherapy candles. Myrrh was also a gum resin that was obtained from the bark of a different tree in East Africa. One of the uses of myrrh in ancient times was the making of perfumes and one of the earliest forms of toothpaste.

Since a true perfume consists of a secret essential oil recipe and several ingredients that allow the liquid to be poured into a spray bottle or other type of container, a pure perfume or perfume will have the highest concentration of oils. Due to this higher quantity of scented essential oils, the scent of the perfume will be longer lasting and stronger. A little perfume is all it takes to maintain its attractive scent for hours. The high price of true perfume is the result of the high concentration of oils.

To compensate for the high cost, many perfume manufacturers dilute their versions of exclusive perfumes and sell at a much lower price to a wider market of customers. However, the diluted cheaper brands are not as durable as the real version.

There are several standard categories of perfume derivatives that are generally sold. The closest product to a perfume is called an Eau de Parfum. “Eau” is the French word for water, so this product is simply a real perfume mixed with extra water. Now an executive of a perfume company would be embarrassed by this crude explanation, but basically this is the translation of the name from French. The next product on the list is an Eau de Toilette followed by an Eau de Cologne, known simply as “cologne.” If the perfume brand is sold in all of these categories, the perfume is the most expensive and the cologne should be the least expensive.

Since everyone’s body chemistry is different, fragrances smell differently on different people. Scents do not have the same scent as people’s skin types are different. For example, dry skin does not retain scents for as long. However, natural body oil will keep the fragrance longer, as the perfume can be mixed more easily. Before buying a perfume, it is always best to test it to determine how it blends with your body chemistry to obtain the desired fragrance.