The difference between parfum and eau de parfum is the share of fragrance oil in the bottle: eau de parfum is usually 15 to 20 percent oil, parfum (also called extrait) is usually 20 to 30 percent, and the rest is alcohol and a little water. More oil means the scent sits closer to the skin, lasts longer and projects less loudly. AMAVAS fragrances are composed at 20% concentration, at the border where eau de parfum becomes parfum.
The usual ranges
- Eau de cologne: about 2 to 5 percent oil. Bright, gone in an hour or two.
- Eau de toilette: about 5 to 15 percent. The daytime standard in Europe; three to five hours.
- Eau de parfum: about 15 to 20 percent. Five to eight hours on most skin.
- Parfum or extrait: about 20 to 30 percent. A full day, quieter and richer.
These are conventions, not law. Two houses can label the same strength differently, and the quality of the oil matters more than the percentage.
Why concentration matters more in India
Heat and humidity speed up evaporation. An eau de toilette composed for a Paris spring can be gone by lunch in Hyderabad in May. Higher concentration and a heavier base, woods, resins, musks, are what keep a fragrance on skin through an Indian afternoon. That is why AMAVAS composes at 20% and wear-tests in Indian heat rather than in a lab at 22 degrees.
Does higher concentration mean stronger
Not louder. Parfum usually projects less than eau de parfum because there is less alcohol to carry it off the skin. It lasts longer and stays nearer to you. If you want a fragrance that fills a room for an hour, choose a lighter concentration; if you want one that is still there at dinner, choose parfum.
How to read a bottle
Look for the words parfum, extrait, eau de parfum or eau de toilette on the label. If a brand only says "perfume", ask for the concentration. AMAVAS states it on every product page: 20% parfum, 100 ml.
