Eau de Cologne, eau de toilette, eau de parfum and extrait describe broad concentration conventions. The chart is a guide to those names. A useful formula still needs its actual percentage, ingredients and measurement basis.
APPROXIMATE PUBLISHED RANGES
Brand reference charts do not consistently state whether their percentages are by mass or volume. These ranges are nominal guides, not verified w/w or v/v specifications. Check the basis of an actual product or formula before converting it.
Approximate published concentration ranges
| Category | What to keep in mind |
|---|---|
| EDC 2–5% | A common lower-concentration reference. Carrément Belle gives about 2–5%; other houses publish broader ranges, so the name alone does not specify a formula. Source ↗ |
| EDT 5–15% | Amouage’s general guide gives 5–15%. This is an approximate category reference, with overlap between adjacent names. Source ↗ |
| EDP 10–20% | Carrément Belle gives about 10–20%, while Amouage’s general guide uses 15–20%. Individual eau de parfums can fall outside either range. Source ↗ |
| Extrait 20–40% | A common reference for more concentrated versions. Carrément Belle gives 20–40%; this is not an upper limit for every product sold as an extrait. Source ↗ |
A DIFFERENT QUESTION: YOUR BATCH BY MASS
See the proportions change.
Choose a concentrate percentage by weight. This example calculates concentrate as supplied and carrier; it does not assign a fragrance category or a use limit.
20 g concentrate as supplied
80 g compatible carrier
Why concentration charts disagree
Different perfume houses publish different reference values. Fragonard’s museum guide gives typical points of 5% for eau de Cologne, 10% for eau de toilette and 15% for eau de parfum, followed by 20–24% for perfume or extract. These are useful orientation points, not the recipe of every product carrying those names.
The ranges above combine clearly attributed examples from perfume houses rather than declaring one universal standard. Read a boundary such as 15% as a place where conventions can overlap. It does not let you identify an unknown bottle or settle its label from the number alone.
EDT vs EDP: what the names can tell you
Within a range, eau de parfum often signals a more concentrated presentation than eau de toilette. The exact concentrate loading and composition still belong to the individual product. Compare the disclosed product information and the actual odor development instead of treating EDP as a universal numerical specification.
There are clear exceptions to tidy charts. Amouage describes Rose Incense as an eau de parfum with 25% fragrance oil. That sits above the common EDP ranges shown here. It is evidence that a familiar category name is not enough to infer a precise percentage.
Extrait does not mean undiluted perfume
Parfum and extrait are commonly associated with the more concentrated end of a collection, but they do not mean 100% neat aromatic material. A commercial product can still contain carrier and other components. Read the disclosed formulation information instead of interpreting “pure perfume” literally.
The upper end of a reference chart is not a ceiling. Amouage’s Guidance 46 is an extrait stated at 46%. Its product page also explains that the effect of concentration depends on the formula. A larger number does not by itself establish better quality or a particular number of hours of wear.
By mass and by volume are different calculations
A 20% w/w mixture contains 20 g of the specified input in 100 g of total mixture. A 20% v/v mixture refers to 20 mL of an input per 100 mL of final mixture under the stated measurement conditions. Grams and millilitres are different quantities; the same percentage number on these two bases does not generally describe the same composition.
Consumer discussions often use volume-style examples, while an exact mass formula uses weighed inputs. If a source simply says “20%,” do not assume its basis. Nor should you assume that pouring two separate liquid volumes together produces their exact summed final volume. Use the specification and density information appropriate to the actual mixture when a conversion is required.
Calculate a documented trial in grams
For a 30 g trial at 15% concentrate loading by mass, the concentrate mass is 30 × 0.15 = 4.5 g. The remaining 25.5 g is the other part of the formula. This is a mass-balance example, not a recommended finished-product concentration or a promise that the mixture qualifies for a particular category.
Specify what the concentrate contains. If it includes working-stock solvents, its neat aromatic content is less than its total mass. A 15% loading of a concentrate containing 80% aromatics contributes 12% aromatics to the final batch: 0.15 × 0.80 × 100. The stock solvents are still present and should remain in the batch record.
Compare the result, not just the percentage
A concentration change is a new experiment. Hold the formula identity, carrier, evaluation method and observation times steady so that you can describe what changed. Use labelled blotters for educational trials and record the opening, later development and final observation separately.
Look at clarity and compatibility as well as odor. A more concentrated trial may need different technical work, and the concentration chart cannot establish suitability for an intended use. Keep any product assessment tied to the actual composition and concentration being evaluated.
Questions & answers
What percentage is eau de parfum?
Published house guides commonly place eau de parfum around 10–20% or 15–20%, but actual products can fall outside those ranges. Amouage, for example, describes its Rose Incense eau de parfum at 25%. Ask for the actual concentration and measurement basis when they matter.
Is eau de parfum stronger than eau de toilette?
EDP commonly signals a more concentrated presentation, but the label alone cannot predict how prominent or long-lasting a scent will be. The composition and the specific product matter as well as concentration.
Does 20% by mass equal 20% by volume?
Not generally. Mass concentration uses grams of input per total grams; volume concentration uses input volume per final volume. Density and the actual mixture are needed for a meaningful conversion.
Is a 30% blend automatically an extrait?
Thirty percent sits within some published extrait reference ranges, but that number does not establish a universal product classification. Record the actual formula and basis rather than relying on a category name.
How much concentrate goes into a 50 g batch at 20% w/w?
The arithmetic is 10 g concentrate and 40 g of the remaining formula ingredients, for 50 g total. If the concentrate contains stock solvents, its neat aromatic contribution will be lower than 10 g.
Can I calculate the fragrance percentage from the alcohol percentage on a bottle?
Not by subtraction alone. The remainder may include water or other ingredients in addition to fragrance concentrate. You also need to know what the stated percentage measures and on which basis.