Fragrance Concentration Chart: Parfum to Eau Fraiche Explained
Fragrance concentration is the percentage of perfume oil (the aromatic compounds) dissolved in a base of alcohol and water, and it is what separates a long-wearing extrait from a fleeting eau fraiche. That one number, the oil percentage, quietly decides how loud a scent reads up close, how far it travels across a room, how long it survives your day, and a fair slice of what you pay for it.
What is fragrance concentration?
Concentration is the ratio of fragrance oil to solvent in the bottle. A perfume that is 20% oil devotes one fifth of its volume to the actual scent. The rest is mostly alcohol, which flashes off your skin and throws the notes into the air around you. The labels on the box (Parfum, Eau de Parfum, Eau de Toilette, and so on) are the industry's shorthand for roughly how much oil sits inside. Here is the catch worth knowing: they are conventions, not legal standards, so the exact percentages drift from house to house. The ladder below still holds up across the vast majority of fragrances we sell.
The full concentration ladder: extrait, EDP, EDT, eau de cologne, eau fraiche
From most concentrated to least, the standard tiers run like this:
- Parfum / Extrait de Parfum. The richest tier, usually sold in small bottles because a little goes a long way. Dense and intimate, hugging the skin at first, with notes that uncurl slowly over many hours. This is the tier that is still faintly there on your wrist the next morning.
- Eau de Parfum (EDP). The modern default, and the sweet spot for most buyers. Strong enough to carry you all day, balanced enough to live with from the morning commute to dinner.
- Eau de Toilette (EDT). Lighter and brighter, with more lift in the opening and a softer dry-down. A workhorse for warm weather and the office.
- Eau de Cologne. A fresh, citrus-forward classic in the traditional sense (not the American catch-all word for men's scent). Crisp and short-lived, made to be splashed on generously after a shower.
- Eau Fraiche. The lightest of all, mostly water rather than alcohol, built for a brief, clean burst instead of staying power.
If the EDP versus EDT question is the one that actually brought you here, we go deeper in our guide to EDP vs EDT vs cologne.
Master concentration chart
Here is the whole picture at a glance. Read the percentages and hours as typical ranges, not promises, because formulation and your own skin chemistry both nudge the numbers.
| Tier | Typical oil % | Typical longevity | Projection | Ideal use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parfum / Extrait | 20% to 30% | 6 to 12+ hours | Moderate, close to skin | Evenings, cold weather, special occasions, signature scents |
| Eau de Parfum (EDP) | 15% to 20% | 5 to 8 hours | Moderate to strong | Everyday wear, work to dinner, year-round versatility |
| Eau de Toilette (EDT) | 5% to 15% | 3 to 5 hours | Light to moderate | Daytime, office, warm weather, lighter layering |
| Eau de Cologne | 2% to 5% | 2 to 3 hours | Light | Hot days, post-shower refresh, generous splashing |
| Eau Fraiche | 1% to 3% | 1 to 2 hours | Very light | Summer, gym bag, quick freshening up |
Why higher concentration usually means longer wear (and the exceptions)
More oil means more aromatic material sitting on your skin, and more raw material simply takes longer to fully evaporate. That is why an extrait can still whisper at you the next morning while an eau fraiche is gone before lunch. Higher concentration also tends to favor the heavier base notes (woods, resins, musks, vanilla) that cling longest, which is why the richer tiers smell deeper and warmer on the dry-down.
But concentration is not the whole story, and the exceptions are where people get caught out. A fresh, citrus-heavy EDP built mostly from bright top notes can fade faster than a smoky, resinous EDT, because the type of ingredients drives longevity as much as the amount. Citrus, and many green or aquatic notes, are volatile and burn off quickly no matter how concentrated they are. To work out which notes last and which vanish, our fragrance notes glossary breaks down top, heart, and base notes in plain language.
How concentration affects price and value
Fragrance oil is the expensive part of any bottle, so a higher concentration generally costs more per milliliter, and extraits often arrive in small flacons that look steep on the shelf. The smarter way to judge value is cost per wear, not cost per bottle. Because you need far less of a concentrated scent (one dab of extrait can outlast three sprays of EDT) a small expensive bottle can work out cheaper over its life than a big cheap one you drain in a season. Concentration is also why testing before you commit pays for itself. Spending full-bottle money on a tier that does not suit your skin or your day is the costliest mistake in fragrance.
How to pick a concentration for your climate and occasion
Heat amplifies fragrance. In summer, or any hot climate, a heavy extrait can tip into cloying, so lighter EDTs, colognes, and eau fraiche read cleaner and sit more comfortably. Cold air does the opposite. It dampens projection, so a richer EDP or parfum gives you the presence a light splash would lose. For occasion, reach for higher concentration when you want a scent that lingers (dinners, dates, cold nights) and lower concentration when you want freshness without filling the room (the office, a workout, a packed commute).
The honest truth is that the right concentration is the one that performs on your skin, and the only way to find that out is to wear it. Rather than gambling on a full bottle, you can try several tiers and scents side by side with our Build Your Own Kit decant program, then commit to the full size once you have found the one. When you are ready to buy, the whole catalogue of authentic fragrances is listed with its concentration, so you always know exactly what you are getting.
Frequently asked questions
Which fragrance concentration lasts longest?
Parfum, also called extrait de parfum, lasts longest, typically 6 to 12 hours or more, because it carries the most fragrance oil (around 20% to 30%). That said, a parfum built on volatile citrus notes can still fade faster than a base-heavy EDT, so the ingredients matter alongside the tier.
Is EDP always stronger than EDT?
Almost always, yes. Eau de parfum carries more oil than eau de toilette of the same fragrance, so it projects more and lasts longer. The exception shows up across different scents: a fresh, top-note-driven EDP can feel lighter and shorter than a deep, woody EDT, because composition can outweigh raw concentration.
What percentage is eau de parfum?
Eau de parfum typically contains about 15% to 20% fragrance oil. There is no universal legal standard, so the exact figure varies by house, but EDP consistently sits below extrait and above eau de toilette on the strength ladder.
Are the same perfume's EDP and EDT identical scents?
Not necessarily. Houses often reformulate a fragrance between concentrations rather than just diluting it, pushing certain notes forward in the EDT to keep it bright, or in the EDP to add depth. That is why the EDP and EDT of the same name can smell noticeably different, not merely stronger or weaker.
How many sprays should I use for each concentration?
As a rough guide, two to four sprays of EDT, one to three of EDP, and one or two dabs of parfum. The concentrated tiers reward restraint. Over-applying an extrait is the fastest way to overwhelm a room. Start light, let it settle for ten minutes, and add more only if you actually need it.
Have a question we did not cover here? Our fragrance FAQ answers the rest, from storage and shelf life to layering.