Definition
A fragrance formula consists of a concentrate (the mixture of aromatic molecules, natural extracts, fixatives, and solvents assembled by the perfumer) diluted in a carrier. The concentration percentage refers to the proportion of that concentrate by weight in the final product. The four main commercial formats are:
- Eau de Cologne (EDC): 2–5% concentrate. Very light, high evaporation rate, short wear (1–2 hours).
- Eau de Toilette (EDT): 5–12% concentrate. The most widely produced format, moderate longevity (3–5 hours).
- Eau de Parfum (EDP): 10–20% concentrate. More pronounced sillage, longer wear (5–8 hours).
- Extrait de Parfum / Parfum: 20–40% concentrate. Maximum longevity (8–12 hours), closest to the perfumer's original vision.
These ranges are industry conventions, not legally regulated standards. A brand may label a product EDP at 15% or 25% without obligation. The carrier also affects perception: a purer ethanol carrier at higher concentration will project differently than an alcohol-water blend at the same nominal percentage.
Why it matters
Concentration affects more than duration: it reshapes the olfactive profile itself. In an EDT, top notes are prominent and base notes subtle; in the extrait of the same formula, top notes are compressed and the base register dominates from the start. This is why the EDT and EDP of a given fragrance are not simply weak and strong versions of each other: they are genuinely different olfactive experiences.
Several niche houses have explored this deliberately. Frederic Malle typically releases fragrances in a single EDP concentration, treating concentration as a creative choice rather than a commercial variable. Creed and Amouage favor EdP/extrait ranges that showcase the complexity of their formulas without overwhelming projection. For consumers comparing formats, it matters to understand that choosing between EDT and EDP is a compositional decision as much as a budget or longevity one.
Examples
Two niche cases where concentration choice is part of the artistic statement:
- Portrait of a Lady (Frederic Malle, 2010, Dominique Ropion): released exclusively as EDP at 20% concentration; the high concentrate allows the rose-patchouli-incense structure to develop fully without an abrupt top-note phase.
- Not a Perfume Superdose (Juliette Has a Gun, 2019): a deliberate concentration experiment — the same Cetalox molecule used in Not a Perfume at dramatically higher percentage, demonstrating how increasing concentration of a single synthetic molecule shifts the skin-presence experience rather than simply amplifying it.