Cologne types: Eau fraiche vs. Eau de toilette vs. Eau de parfum vs. Eau de cologne vs. parfum?
A men’s guide to cologne types and what these French words really mean when selecting cologne.
It seems my wife and I secretly like long layovers in airports with duty free cologne and perfume shops.
Before getting to the airport and looking at our tickets, we often dread the layover period, with nothing to look forward to but un-comfy seats, no outlets, awkward glances and people with their shoes off.
But, if we’re lucky, once we land at an airport and begin walking through the terminal, the smell of designer fragrance hits our noses even before we see the store. We will exchange glances, knowing that we can easily kill an hour or two picking out our next “signature” scent.
I’ll be honest, I love picking out cologne. I also like smelling good.
I remember the first “bottle” of cologne I ever got. Actually, I think it was an aftershave. It came in a yellow X-Men box with the original comic book Wolverine on the cover. The box also contained a fake blade-less safety razor and shaving cream. I think I got it as a birthday present when I was five years old, and it was definitely a badass gift.
I would pretend to shave every day, and I would always end my routine with a dab of my “cologne”. The shaving cream didn’t last long, but the cologne lasted for several weeks. One day, my supply of Wolverine cologne was depleted, and my Mom made me throw it in the trash. But, I never forgot how great it felt to smell good.
When I got a little older, 10 or 11, I would gently spritz my step dad’s square Calvin Klein Eternity cologne on my neck before going to school. I thought if I sprayed just enough to get a few misty drops out, he would never notice any of it missing.
Anyway, about a year ago in the Denver airport, my wife and I had a substantial layover. A large part of that layover was spent in the duty free fragrance store. For the first time though, I noticed the difference in prices between the “parfum” and “eau de toilette”. It was the same cologne from the same company, just different prices, and I had no idea what the difference was.
Apparently, I had gone through life thinking that cologne was just “cologne”. I had no idea that cologne, a general term we use in the US for stuff we spray on ourselves, is actually classified into five different concentrations. Each concentration has a different amount of fragrance to alcohol and water ratio.
Check out our “Men’s Guide to Cologne Types” below for a visual.
Eau Fraiche
The weakest of the cologne types in terms of fragrance concentration at 1-3%. It lasts approximately two hours and has more water than alcohol.
Eau de Cologne (EDC)
Although Eau de Cologne has slightly more fragrance than Eau Fraiche at 2-4%, it still only lasts about two hours . This is due to a higher concentration of alcohol versus water and is also generally the cheapest among the cologne types. More of the product needs to be used to sustain the fragrant notes.
Eau de Toilette (EDT)
This one is arguably the most common, also the one that you have read and wondered what a toilet has to do with cologne. This has a fragrance concentration between 5% and 15% and normally lasts between two and three hours. It is common to use Eau de Toilette for the daytime.
Eau de Parfum (EDP)
This has a fragrance concentration between 15% and 20% and should last four to five hours. It can be better for sensitive skin, mainly due to the higher concentration of fragrance versus alcohol, but will likely be more expensive than Eau de Toilette. It can be used for everyday wear and may be more suitable for nightwear than Eau de Toilette.
Parfum
This has the highest concentration of fragrance at 15-40%, but average is between 20% and 30%. It should last six to eight hours, but definitely commands the highest price of the cologne types, mainly due to the higher concentration of fragrance to water or alcohol. If you suffer from extremely sensitive skin, the higher ratio of fragrance may not irritate it as much. Parfum may also be less likely to dry out the skin, if that is a problem for you.
Before you buy your next cologne, refer back to this men’s guide to cologne types if needed. I knew I didn’t know the difference when I saw these terms, so I hope it helps.
Good luck cologne hunting and finding your “signature” scent!
Like smelling good and whiskey? Check out 9 surprising whiskey facts to enlighten your day.
Thanks for reading,
Chris
