WHAT IS EAU DE TOILETTE? AND HOW TO PERFUME YOURSELF WITH IT?

Where does the eau de toilette come from? What’s the difference between eau de parfum and eau de cologne? How do you perfume yourself with it? We will tell you everything you need to know about this common perfume.

To start, let’s go back to its origins. Back in the days when bathrooms and running water were still a luxury (a long time ago), people used to wash themselves with cloths soaked in a fragrant, alcoholic eau de toilette. This was used to clean, disinfect, and invigorate the body, but also to perfume and mask body odours.

But today, eau de toilette is only used to perfume oneself! It is often a fresher, lighter, and above all, less concentrated (and therefore cheaper) variation of a perfume. Sometimes you can find an eau de toilette that’s labelled “eau fraîche” (meaning fresh water).

 

What’s the difference between eau de toilette, eau de parfum, and eau de cologne?

It’s all about the concentration! Once the perfumer has composed his formula, the scented concentrate is diluted in alcohol. But why is there alcohol in perfume? Is it to make you happy in the morning when you perfume yourself? It may be a reason, but it’s not the main one 🙂.

(Beware, those who hated chemistry are going to get a headache when we explain 🙂.) Perfume concentrate is a greasy substance, like oil. Thus, it only evaporates when it is mixed with alcohol. It is therefore diluted in ethyl alcohol because it is neutral (it evaporates without leaving a trace). So, as soon as the perfume is applied, the alcohol evaporates quickly, which provokes a feeling of freshness. The concentrate then remains on the skin and diffuses its scent throughout the day by progressive evaporation of the odorous molecules according to the top, heart and base notes!

The different concentrations:

Eau de parfum

You will find different figures for each classification, but generally speaking, an eau de parfum has a concentration of perfume in alcohol between 10 and 22%. Applied on clothes (except for fragile materials such as silk and light colours), EDP leaves a remarkable trail. It is a good compromise between the extract, which is very expensive, and the eau de toilette, which is sometimes too volatile!

FYI, all the perfumes at Sillages Paris are highly concentrated eau de parfums. The power of their trail is also accentuated by the fact that we use a lot of natural ingredients.

Eau de toilette

An eau de toilette has a low concentration of essential oils: around 5 to 12% concentrated in alcohol. And the higher the concentration of the eau de toilette, the better it will hold on your skin. But it also depends on the ingredients used. Natural ingredients generally hold better, especially the base notes, which last longer than the top notes. In the end, longevity depends on the composition of the formula itself. Fresh scents will evaporate faster than ones that are not very concentrated but contain more heavy molecules (wood, musks, etc.).

Eau de cologne

Beware of the name “eau de cologne” as it refers to different types of perfumes! The first eau de cologne was invented in the 18th century in Cologne, by Jean-Marie Farina. Originally used for hygiene and toiletries, eau de cologne is a product that has always been synonymous with freshness and cleanliness. It invigorates and refreshes, and is generously sprayed on the body 🙂. The first cologne contained citrus fruits (lemon, bergamot) and a large number of aromatic herbs (rosemary, thyme, lavender, fennel, clove, juniper berries, aniseed, etc.). Today, we still use this term in perfumery to describe a very fresh style of fragrance.

However, the term more generally refers to perfumes with very low concentrations that contain between 4 and 6% essence. These perfumes usually have no base note and do not last long on the skin. This means you have to spray an eau de cologne several times a day to restore freshness, energy, and vitality! (The word “cologne” in the United States refers to men’s perfume in general).

How to perfume yourself with eau de toilette?

So how do you perfume yourself with eau de toilette and make sure that the trail lasts? Eau de toilette can be applied to clothes, and must be sprayed in larger quantities to ensure optimum diffusion.

When composed as the lighter counterpart of an eau de parfum, it also comprises more top notes to be lighter. Hence it’s a great choice to be used in summer!

Some people also use it to avoid giving off an overly strong scent. But the concentration of the fragrance doesn’t necessarily correlate to the strength of the scent. So, at Sillages Paris, we have created light, discreet “colognes” that are subtle, yet very distinctive and unique, and have a concentration of eau de parfum! Because no matter how much of a trail you want, it’s still better when your perfume lasts and lasts and lasts!

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