What Is the Difference Between Perfume & Cologne?

Cologne is not just for men anymore. In fact, it never was. Cologne has often been misconstrued as a fragrance solely for the male species, when it is simply a weaker concoction than perfume to be enjoyed by both genders. Both perfume and cologne are created using the same ingredients.

Significance

• Perfumes and colognes differ in a few ways, but the most obvious is that colognes are weaker in odor. Perfumes are created using three layers of fragrance, called notes, with the topmost being the strongest but shortest lived. The middle note is more subtle and will last several hours longer, while the base note is the quietest yet will last throughout the day. Colognes are comprised of only a single scent, whereas a layered perfume may have three, and cologne will not pack as powerful a punch or linger as long.

Types

• Fragrances come in a host of major categories. Folks can choose from floral, Oriental, floriental, chypre, green marine and fruit. Floral and fruit fragrances are self-explanatory. Oriental fragrances feature an exotic scent, with the florientals infusing the scent of a fresh bouquet. Chypre offers a citrus and woody odor. Green marine offers a crisp, clean scent reminiscent of a fresh breeze, laundered linen or mountain air. Estee Lauder's White Linen, introduced in the 1980s, was a flagship of the green marine movement, which began in earnest in the 1990s.

Features

• Perfumes and colognes are created from a number of plant and animal products. The plethora of plant products used include lavender, lemon, lilac, lily, vanilla, sandalwood, ylang-ylang, eucalyptus and even moss. Others are magnolia, orris, orange, patchouli, pine, rose, sage, raspberry, iris, geranium, bergamot, cardamom and frankincense. Animal products range from the musk of a male musk deer to the secretion of a beaver called castoreum. The civet cat often adds his civet, which is a musk-like odor. Don't forget the important product of ambergris, a waxy material that comes from the sperm whale.

Identification

• In addition to its layered notes, perfumes can also be identified by their potency. A typical perfume will contain an average of 22 percent essential oils, with the remainder made up of denatured ethyl alcohol. Eau de parfum is next in line, with 15 to 22 percent essential oils, followed by eau de toilette's 8 to 15 percent oils, eau de cologne with 4 percent and eau fraiche with a mere 1 to 3 percent essential oils. Cologne is weak enough to begin with and thus is not diluted as perfume is.

Warning

• Smell is the strongest and most immediate scent. It can trigger everything from fond memories to acute nausea. Folks who wear perfume or cologne should keep this in mind before dousing themselves with too much. A few dabs or sprits of either product behind the ears or on the wrists are all that's needed. There is also no need to reapply often, as the scent can linger for quite a while.