Fragrance vs Perfume

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When going out there are some rituals that must be observed while getting ready for the outing. A quick dash to the shopping mall, a trip to the beach, a day at the office or an official event, they all have ways that we prepare for them. One of the important things to consider is the kind of scent we project to others. Humans are naturally conscious of how they smell and how others perceive them.

After picking the kind of shower gel, soap or bath salt to use for bathing, we choose the kind of shampoo to wash our hair, then hand wash after using the toilet, body lotion or cream to use for your skin, deodorants, body spray, perfumes and hair spray. All these choices are dependent on the way they smell, the kind of scent they give off and how long this scent last.

This leads to the use of fragrances in all these cosmetics products as it is one of the daily essentials of humans. We have fragrances in almost everything we use. Fragrances are important in food, medicine and the cosmetics world. They are what makes things appealing and attractive to the senses.

What is a Perfume?

Perfumes can be referred to as a liquid mixture containing about 20% to 40% fragrance oil, plant extracts, and synthetic compounds. They are made up of fragrance, alcohol and some other aromatic chemicals that give off a stunning and impressive scent. Perfumes use alcohol or water to stabilize the fragrance oil and keep the scent locked in. They come in form of sprays, rolls or even gels and usually have distinctive packaging.

What is Fragrance?

The fragrance is anything that elicits a beautiful aroma. It might be a plant or plant extract, a combination of various aromatic organic compounds that produces a delightful scent. These fragrances are mainly a unique formula of a combination of various fragrant materials to create another unique scent. These fragrances can then be incorporated into different materials to settle and fix the fragrance. Fragrance can be used in soaps, air fresheners, perfumes, or candles.

Difference between Perfume and Fragrance

The difference between perfumes and fragrances is more of raw material and the product the raw material is used to produce. Fragrances are like the special recipe that grandma has for baking her unique chocolate cake. Perfumes on the other hand are like the cupcake made using grandma's chocolate recipe.

Fragrance and perfumes are similar yet different, some people use these terminologies interchangeably but there are some instances where they have to be differentiated. When you pick up a bar soap, you look for the kind of fragrance that is in it, the same thing goes for perfumes. You look for the fragrance notes in the perfume to get the overall scent accord of the perfume.

There are different kinds of fragrances, a fragrance can be flowery, fruity, smell like burnt sugar, or like candy floss. Each of these fragrances can now be incorporated in perfumes, soaps and creams. That's why you get perfume and match it with soap or lotion that has the same fragrance for better fragrance layering. The term fragrance is therefore an all-encompassing word that stands for anything that produces a pleasant scent.

Fragrances can be fixed as a solid, liquid or gaseous product. Some liquid fragrances are also mistakenly called perfumes. There are different types of liquid fragrances, these are classified based on the concentration of fragrance oil in their makeup into:

Pure perfumes or parfum
Eau de parfum
Eau de Toilette
Eau de Cologne or Cologne
Eau de Fraiche

•  Pure Perfumes: This type of fragrance contain about 20% to 40% fragrance oil depending on the brand and fragrance note. They are mostly composed of heavy and intense scent that lasts for about a day or more. Pure perfumes are expensive and are used as a luxury accessory. These are not readily available and are usually marketed by celebrities and models.

• Eau de Parfum: These are fragrances that have about 12% to 20% fragrance oil fixed in an alcohol base. They are long-lasting and can be perceived for about 8 hours or more. Since they also have a considerable amount of fragrance oil, they can also be pricey and are used for special occasions.
• Eau de Toilette: Eau de Toilette contain 5% to 15% fragrance oil and can last for 5 hours before another application. They have a lighter and fresher scent accord than perfumes. The price of EDTs are quite moderate and they are very common. They are perfect as a day to day fragrance or a casual outing.
• Eau de Cologne: Colognes are a lighter scented fragrance with only 3% to 5% fragrance oil in their makeup. They mostly have a citrusy opening that is fresh and light, perfect for a summer day. They have more alcohol than the EDT and perfumes. Their scent takes 3 to 4 hours before evaporating. Colognes require repeated application.
• Eau de Fraiche: These are more of a scented liquid with only about 2% to 3% fragrance oil concentration. They are mostly made up of water and alcohol as their base. They can only last for 2 to 3 hours before their scent fades. They are continuously reapplied throughout the day but are more suited for a short outing. They come in form of body sprays, hair sprays, body mists, diffusers and air fresheners.

Difference between Perfume and Fragrance (Table)

Perfumes and fragrances though similar have some differences that make them unique and different. The differences are listed summarized in the table below.

Perfume	Fragrance
1. Perfumes are made from a mixture of fragrance oil, plant extracts and synthetic aromatic compounds.	The fragrance is gotten from the combination of an organic compound and fragrant plant.
2. Perfumes are made from fragrances, alcohol and water.	The fragrance is used to make perfumes, soaps, cream and other cosmetic products.
3. Perfumes are made in liquid forms as in sprays, gels or roll on.	Fragrance can come in liquid, solid or gaseous forms.
4. Perfumes are only applied externally on skin or clothes.	Fragrance can be incorporated in foods or drugs that are taken internally.
5. Perfumes are used to make the wearer smell pleasant and attractive.	Fragrances can be used to give a product a unique scent and for aromatherapy.
6. Perfumes can be obtained in cosmetic stores as luxury items.	Fragrances are mostly not readily available as they are unique and the formula is considered a trade secret.
7. Perfumes comes in different concentrations of fragrance oil and alcohol or water.	Fragrances are made from different formulas of a combination of fragrant plants and organic chemicals.
8. Perfumes are sensitive to hair or some parts of the skin due to some of their ingredients that can be harsh.	Fragrances are used in hair products, deodorants and hand wash.
9. Perfumes are used by men and women as an everyday essential.	Fragrances can be used in domestic products like air fresheners, candles and diffusers.

Conclusion

Reviewing the meaning and usage of the two words, one could detect the distinction between perfume and fragrance. They share some similarities but these don't make them an equivalent. These distinguishing factors between them can be significant in some cases. Therefore we should learn when to use fragrances and when perfume would be more suitable. In the fragrance world, the distinction is important to understand what exactly you meant. Saying fragrance can mean anything that has a nice scent, perfume, cologne, or air freshener. But when you say perfume, it is more specific and the meaning is immediately understood.

FAQs

• Is perfume a fragrance?

Perfume is a type of fragrance mixture. Perfume is a highly concentrated fluid mixture that contains a high amount of fragrance oil in its composition. Just like cologne, body sprays and air freshners are fragrances, perfumes are also a form of fragrance.

• Is fragrance a pleasant connotation?

Fragrance means anything or any combination of chemicals or plant extracts that exudes a pleasant smell. Any smell that is nice and clean can be referred to as a fragrance. A bad or an unpleasant smell however can be called a stench, an odour or stink like dung, animals or compost.

• Is fragrance the same as perfume?

The fragrance is not the same as a perfume but in certain contexts, they can be used interchangeably. The fragrance is an ingredient used in the manufacture of perfume. Fragrances are a combination of various chemicals and plant extracts to give a particular scent. Two or more fragrances can then be combined with other chemicals and alcohol to give perfume its unique scent.

• What are the types of fragrances?

There are different types of fragrances. A citrusy fragrance, a rose fragrance, an airy and fresh fragrance, a fragrance that smells like the beach, a tropical fragrance, fragrances that smell like a bouquet, these are all examples of fragrance.

• What are fragrances used for?

Fragrances are used to give a good scent and sometimes for aromatherapy. Fragrances can be used in all personal cosmetic products such as shampoo, detergent, perfumes, candles and also diffusers. Fragrances are mostly used to boost one's morale and to reduce stress and tension by giving you a happy and relaxed feeling.

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