Perfume vs Attar vs Eau de Toilette vs Eau de Parfum Difference Explained
Is there anyone who doesn’t love wearing fragrance? As there are many variations of scents available in the market, picking the best-suited one is a really tough job. Besides, scents also vary for different occasions, weather, women or men, and the perfume concentration.
In this content, we will discuss the difference between perfume, attar, Eau de Toilette, and Eau de Parfum. Before knowing their differences, we should know what they actually are.
Perfume History & How It’s Made
The history of perfume is too long. The use of perfume has been known since ancient Egyptian civilization. In fact, fragrance is widely used in this era. The Egyptians used essential oils in all rituals, even their daily beautification.
The use of scent was also very popular among the ancient Greeks. They took this as their daily needs. They followed their own recipe of making essential oils and worn to celebrate anything. Even though they believe that scent could help them recover from their physical and mental problems.
Inspired by the Greeks, the Romans also took an interest in using perfume. And they were so influenced that they started using perfume on their skin, clothes, rooms, and to pet also.
During the Islamic Golden Age from the 8th to the 13th century, perfume-making became more advanced, and start to be used more widely. However, the modern perfume was born in the 19th to early 20th century. During this time, the Industrial Revolution introduced the use of synthetic materials in perfume production. Perfume became more versatile and long-lasting then. Many iconic perfume brands like Guerlain and Chanel No. 5 made their debut this century.
Attar
Attar, also known as Ittar, is one kind of scent that has been used for thousands of years. It is made from the flowers, plants, spices, etc. The making process is very traditional and natural, also. The concentration of the scent is high, and it is alcohol free. This fragrance is often used for Islamic programs, spiritual rituals, and personal wear. It has a wide fan base due to its long-lasting quality. You can even get attar at the best perfume shops in BD.
Difference between attar and perfume
The basic difference between attar and perfume is that attar is alcohol-free. Another prime difference is attar making process is slow and very traditional.
While most modern perfume makers use ethyl alcohol with the aromatic compounds. It makes perfume long-lasting and helps it quickly disappear while sprayed. The perfume concentration is relatively low. The makers used essential oils with high-proof ethanol. These components actually differ perfume from attar.
The makers make traditional attar through a long-term process. They collect ingredients from nature and then distill them over heat. The essential base oil is collected from the aromatic steam. This way, they collect the flower oils directly. This is the main component of attar, which is quite natural, pure, and completely alcohol-free.
What is a Perfume Concentration?
Perfume concentration is a key term in the perfume industry. It refers to the essential oils used in perfume, along with alcohol and other necessary ingredients. The percentage of essential oil determines the scent’s strength, longevity, and price.
In fact, the percentage of essential oils is the key factor that creates a difference among all types of fragrances, like perfume, EDT, and EDP.
Eau de Toilette
Eau de Toilette is another version of regular perfume. It is light and scented for only a few hours. In simple words, EDU is scented water used in the toilet. It contains a few drops of essential oils to perfume your hair and body. It widely used as women’s perfume.
Like all perfumes, the EDU is a mixture of essential oils, alcohol, and water. You cannot use essential oils directly on your skin because their fragrance is very strong. However, the mixture of the components creates a balanced, light, and sweet smell.
Typically, EDU contains only 10 % of essential oil. It creates a fresh and light scent that decreases gradually within a few hours. It is good for everyday use.
Eau de Parfum
Eau de Parfum means perfume water. This perfume water contains more essential oils to define the fragrance. EDP contains at least 15% fragranced oils. As it contains a larger amount of fragranced oils, the price is also comparatively high.
The EDP lasts for a long time because of its high percentage of fragranced oil. It creates a very sweet and long-lasting perfume, that’s why it is good for romantic evenings, dates, and any special occasion. If you have sensitive skin, then the EDP may be the best option as it contain low percentage of alcohol.
Eau de Toilette vs Eau de Parfum
Though the Eau de Toilette and Eau de Parfum both are the same scent and the same fragrance notes, the only difference is the concentration.
The concentration of EDT contains perfume oil at only 8-12%, which is comparatively lower than the EDP. While EDP contains perfume oil a little bit higher, that is 12-18%. Simply, the concentration refers to the higher amount, which provides a stronger scent, and the lower amount provides a lighter scent; that’s all.
It is quite difficult to answer which one is better in a competition. Both are okay in their own position. What you should pick depends only on what you want from the fragrance. If you want a strong, long-lasting fragrance that can scent the day long, then you should go for the Eau de Parfum.
On the other hand, if you love light, refreshing, and sweet fragrance for everyday use, then the Eau de Toilette might be a better option.
Perfume vs Attar vs Eau de Toilette vs Eau de Parfum – comparison at a glance
- Attar: A pure natural oil, lasts for 8-12 hours or more.
- Perfume: 20-40% essential oil, lasts for 8 hours or more.
- Eau de Parfum: 15-20% essential oil, lasts for 6-8 hours.
- Eau de Toilette: 5-15% essential oil, 3-5 hours.
Verdict
At the end of the content, there is no other difference but the perfume concentration among them. So, choosing among them depends on your personal preference and lifestyle. Attar refers to pure, natural, long-lasting, and strong fragrance, while perfume comes with variety, mass appeal into gathering.
Eau de toilette is refreshing and sweet, but keeps you scented for a short time; on the other hand, Eau de Parfum is strong and stays with you for a long time. However, we hope you can pick the right fragrance now easily. Happy shopping!