How much of the aromatic substance do we get in our perfume products? The perfume concentration levels can be different from brand to brand. We could be paying a lot of money for perfumes and colognes that have very little aroma or longevity but very good marketing. The perfume extract quantity might be as little as 12% or as high as 45% so it might be advisable to read the small print before making a purchase.
If the percentage of the aromatic compounds (perfume) within a product is high then so too are the product fragrance and its longevity. Perfume extract is more commonly known as ‘perfume’ and is the main ingredient of perfume as we know it. It might be of interest at this point to know that common after shave balm can have as little as 1% concentration of aromatic perfume compound.
Perfume thinning
Perfume oils (aromatic compounds) are thinned out by other oils or even by using water. The preferred dilution oils are jojoba or coconut oils but sometimes ethanol is used. Thinning increases the quantity of perfume that can be sold but does not necessarily increase the quality of perfume although these oils do not interfere with the aroma because they are neutral additives. Knowing the percentages of ‘real’ perfume that you are getting for your money is important so it is a good idea to learn something about this secretive industry before you make a purchase at a store’s perfume sale.
Perfume concentrations explained
The top perfume > 40% concentration
A perfume concentration (the extract) at the top end containing 45% aromatic compound is the best available but many top quality perfumes are blended with a lesser concentration. It is usual to see aromatic compound concentrations of 25% which is quite acceptable.
Good quality perfume > 30% concentration
Esprit de Parfum might get as high as 35% aromatic compounds but typically will be found in the lower to mid 20s percentile.
Quality perfumes > 15% concentration
Just under the 20% aromatic compound mark you will find the Parfum de Toilette and Eau de Parfum (or Eau de Perfume) but both might be as low as only 10% so do check what you are buying very carefully.
Millésime is another perfume concentration very similar to the two above and a perfume may be described in French as ‘un tres bon millesime’ which means ‘a very good vintage’ and is not to be confused with French wine. This good vintage would equate to a15% ± 5% concentration.
Good perfumes > 10% concentration
Eau de Toilette, not to be confused with the higher rated Parfum de Toilette, comes in at 10% ± 5% of aromatic compound.
Perfumes below 10% concentration
These cheap perfumes and colognes include various Eau de Colognes, misted perfume and aftershaves and will have aromatic compounds of 5% ± 3% and some may be as low as 1%.
What might seem like a bargain at first sight might in fact be very poor value for your money, so do check the ingredients of your intended perfume purchases and do try out the perfume testers too, if available. I do hope that this straight forward and direct perfume guide is of some assistance in the choices you make in the very secretive perfume industry.
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