Fragrance Concentrations Explained
Eau de Cologne, Eau de Toilette, Eau de Parfum, Parfum — what the labels mean and what they don't.
Concentration refers to the percentage of aromatic compounds dissolved in alcohol and water.
Eau de Cologne: roughly 2–5%. Bright, fleeting, traditionally citrus-forward. Few modern compositions use this tier.
Eau de Toilette: 5–15%. The most common designer concentration. Lighter, fresher, faster to fade.
Eau de Parfum: 15–20%. The contemporary default for most niche and many designer releases. Richer, longer.
Parfum / Extrait: 20–40%. Deepest, longest — but not necessarily strongest. Often more intimate, with reduced projection and dramatic longevity.
Higher concentration is not automatically better. A masterful EDT can outperform a clumsy parfum. Composition matters more than tier.