EDT vs EDP vs Parfum, explained properly
The letters on the box change the strength, the character and the value equation — here’s how to read them.
FragranceIQ Editorial · 5 min read
Those letters after a fragrance name — EDT, EDP, occasionally just “Parfum” — describe concentration: roughly, how much aromatic oil is dissolved in the alcohol. More oil generally means a denser, longer-lasting scent and a higher price. But the full story is more interesting, and it changes how you should shop.
The ladder, roughly
Eau de Cologne sits around 2–5% oil: bright, fleeting, made for generous splashing. Eau de Toilette runs roughly 5–15%: the classic daytime strength, projecting well in the first hours then settling. Eau de Parfum runs roughly 15–20%: denser, warmer, longer. Parfum or Extrait sits above that: rich, close to the skin, and the longest-lasting of all — often quieter than an EDP, not louder, because so little alcohol is doing the lifting.
These bands are conventions, not regulations. One house’s EDT out-performs another’s EDP, and brands are under no obligation to disclose exact percentages.
The same name is not the same fragrance
Here is the trap: when a fragrance exists in multiple concentrations, the versions are usually different compositions, not the same juice at different dilutions. Perfumers rebalance the formula for each strength — the EDT of a famous scent might be citrus-forward while its EDP leans sweet and its Parfum turns dark and resinous. If you loved a friend’s EDT, buying the EDP blind is a genuine gamble.
How this changes the value math
Per ml, EDPs usually cost 15–30% more than EDTs of the same line — but they often last proportionally longer on skin, so the cost per hour of wear frequently favours the EDP. Where the maths flips is generous sprayers: if you apply six sprays regardless, the EDT’s lower price wins. Know your habits, then buy the concentration that matches them — and always compare per-ml prices across sizes, because a bigger bottle of the lower concentration is often the true value play.