Perfume and concentration

In the following article, Sylvaine Delacourte will present the different fragrance concentrations and their meaning. These different concentrations are listed from fresh and volatile to tenacious and powerful:

 

Eau de senteur

An eau de senteur is a product intended for babies under the age of 3, as most of them don’t contain alcohol.

They have another solvent that replaces the alcohol and is mixed with a scented concentrate. It can leave a slightly sticky sensation on the skin. 

These perfumes, like any serious fragrance, will have to be tested and undergo dermatological tests. Check the safety of these fragrances on the YUKA or CLEAN BEAUTY application.
Spray these fragrances on clothes only and not on babies' skin.

The first fragrances for babies were Baby Dior in 1970, Bonpoint, Tartine et Chocolat of Guerlain, etc. They have generally very little fragrance concentration between 4% and 10%.

In recent years, regulations have become much stricter and very few natural ingredients are allowed in fragrances for babies.
This is understandable and logical because small babies have fragile and thin skin. An ingredient in high concentration even in very small quantities can find its way into their bodies by simple skin penetration.

For the perfumer, the exercise is difficult as the register of authorized natural and synthetic raw materials is extremely limited.
The challenge when creating an Eau de senteur is to make the fragrance fresh while orchestrating the formula with a reduced natural palette.

Eau de Cologne

Originally used for hygiene and toiletries, the Eau de Cologne has been passed down from generation to generation. It is a product synonymous with freshness and cleanliness.
It invigorates and refreshes. After working out or an effort, a splash of an Eau de Cologne restores energy and vitality. This product can be used generously.

The classic Eau de Cologne

The first Eau de Cologne appeared in the 18th century. The classic Eau de Cologne is composed exclusively of natural raw materials, 99% natural.
It is entirely composed of volatile citrus notes and provides an intense sensation of freshness.
Its heart and base are very discreet, giving a light and very fleeting scent.
Eau de Cologne contains 2 to 6% fragrance concentrate in an alcohol at 60°.
An Eau de Cologne can be combined with its Eau de parfum.

New Eau de Cologne or Modern Eau de Cologne

These products keep the structure of an Eau de Cologne with all its classic ingredients: citrus fruits, petit grain, orange blossom, but benefiting from new molecules of synthesis which will help the tenacity and the diffusion.
These Eau de Cologne also have more base notes: spices, wood, musky notes like Oranzo from the Orange Blossom Collection of Sylvaine Delacourte.

 

 

Eau fraîche

During the second half of the 20th century, the Eau de Cologne inspired the Eau Fraîche.
The latter have lightly chypre (moss, patchouli) and woody (vetiver, cedar) base notes, floral notes, and the famous Hédione developed by Firmenich which makes the fresh notes last.
Some of the first Eau fraîche were Eau Sauvage, Eau de Guerlain and Eau de Rochas.
Eaux Fraîches are more tenacious and diffusive because of their more facetted construction.

CK One by Calvin Klein was the arrival of an ultra-modern, transparent, refreshing Eaux de Cologne with a musky trail. It has an air of Eau de Cologne with the added tonic accord of a tea note borrowed from the Eau de Toilette of the Thé de Bulgari fragrance.

Sylvaine Delacourte's Smeraldo and Oranzo are fresh, green fragrances.

The eau de toilette

An Eau de toilette is a perfume with a low concentration of essential oils. The higher the concentration of the eau de toilette, the longer it will last.
The orchestration is crucial but everything depends on the talent of the perfumer. The eau de toilette can be applied on clothes and must be sprayed in a particular way to guarantee a perfect diffusion.

Eau de toilette is fresher and richer in top notes than eau de parfum. With fast diffusion, this type of fragrance can be applied on clothes.
However, due to its low concentration, it contains 3 to 20% of concentrate in an 80° vol alcohol, the eau de toilette has a limited lasting power. It can be used in complement of a perfume extract or eau de parfum.

By analogy between perfumery and painting, the perfume extract could be assimilated to the original work, the eau de parfum would be limited and numbered editions and the eau de toilette would be lithographs.

The Eau de Parfum

An Eau de parfum contains 7 to 20 % of fragrance concentrate, in an alcohol at 90° vol. You can apply it on clothes, except for fragile materials such as silk, light colors or non-noble materials. It gives a remarkable trail.

It is a good compromise between extract which is very expensive, and eau de toilette which is sometimes too volatile.

All the perfumes of the Sylvaine Delacourte range, i.e. 5 perfumes around musk, 5 perfumes around vanilla, 5 perfumes around orange blossom, have been orchestrated in the form of Eau de Parfum, with a concentration that varies from 15% to 20%.

 

The extract or pure perfume

At the beginning of the 20th century perfume was often conceived in the form of extract, which is its true soul, it is the richest and most concentrated product.
The raw materials are orchestrated to obtain intense heart and base notes.
The essential oils are weighed and combined to form a concentrate, then diluted in alcohol.
Most extracts contain 20 to 40% concentrate, in 98° vol. alcohol, but there are no regulations and each brand can call an extract product if it wants to, provided it has power and tenacity.

The extract has volume and presence. A few drops are enough to give a perfect, tenacious and stable fragrance. It is often applied directly to the skin.

Sylvaine Delacourte fragrances

Discover Sylvaine Delacourte's brand with her Orange Blossom, Musks and Vanilla Collections. You can try them thanks to the Discovery Boxes (5 Eaux de Parfum x 2 ml) and rediscover these raw materials as you have never smelled them before.