When two perfume concentration charts disagree
Open two online encyclopedias and set their tables side by side: the numbers differ. The English edition of Wikipedia gives roughly 2 to 3 per cent for eau de cologne, 5 to 15 for eau de toilette, 15 to 20 for eau de parfum and 15 to 30 for extrait. The French edition lists 4 to 6 per cent, 7 to 12, 12 to 20 and 20 to 40 for the same four categories.
That gap is not a copying slip, and it means perfume concentrations compared across sources rarely match. It reflects a simple fact: no law fixes these thresholds. The English article itself says the terms are fairly imprecise, and that one house’s eau de toilette can hold more aromatic material than another’s eau de parfum. Published perfume concentrations are market habits, not standards, and a perfume concentration comparison between two brands needs caution.
A perfume concentration chart as a rough guide
Held loosely, as orders of magnitude, perfume concentrations compared side by side are still a useful guide, and a perfume concentration chart helps you place a bottle. As the share of fragrance oil rises, the share of alcohol drops, and the scent has a better chance of feeling dense and close to the skin. At the other end, splashes and colognes are made for lightness and are often reapplied.
Treat each range as a starting point, then read the house’s own product page, which tells you far more about the real character of a scent than a generic category name ever can.
- Eau fraîche and eau de cologne: the lightest, from 1 to 6 per cent depending on the source.
- Eau de toilette: an intermediate level, often cited between 5 and 15 per cent.
- Eau de parfum: 12 to 20 per cent in most tables.
- Extrait de parfum: the highest, 15 to 40 per cent depending on the source.
- Powder perfume: a special case, alcohol-free, quoted at 31 per cent in one reference.
Perfume strength in practice: three Dior Sauvage versions
To leave the theory behind, the best perfume concentration comparison uses one fragrance sold in several versions. Dior’s Sauvage family offers three on the house’s website: an eau de toilette, an eau de parfum and an extrait. The pages publish no percentage, since the intensity field is blank, but they describe clearly distinct compositions.
The eau de toilette: spicy freshness
Its page speaks of citrus and peppery notes, naming Reggio di Calabria bergamot, Sichuan pepper, Ambroxan and elemi. The house calls it fresh, intense and woody-amber, with a strong trail. It comes in 30, 60, 100 and 200 ml, and the 30 and 100 ml bottles are refillable.
The eau de parfum: a touch of vanilla
The headline here promises citrus and vanilla notes: Calabrian bergamot on top, a Papua New Guinea vanilla accord underneath, woody patchouli in support. The sizes mirror the eau de toilette, with the same refill options on 30 and 100 ml.
The extrait: a different construction
Presented by the house as the first extrait for men in the line, Sauvage Extrait combines bergamot and Provence lavender with Vietnamese oud, Indonesian patchouli, Madagascar vetiver and Virginia cedar. The formula macerates for 42 days, and the single bottle holds 50 ml.
What the strength of a perfume does not measure
The lesson on perfume strength is plain: these three versions differ in more than the amount of concentrate. They change materials, colour and character. Moving from the Sauvage eau de toilette to its extrait means moving from pepper and Ambroxan to oud and lavender. The percentage alone cannot predict what you will smell.
Other factors weigh as much as the percentage in a perfume concentration comparison: the volatility of materials (a citrus evaporates quickly, a resinous wood lingers), the presence of fixatives, your skin, the room temperature and where you apply it. Two people wearing the same bottle do not live the same development.
Finally, there is the contrast effect. A strong trail can come from a very diffusive material used at low dose, while a rich extrait that melts into the skin may barely be noticed. Intensity can only be judged by wearing it, never from a label.
How to run a fair perfume concentration comparison
A fair perfume concentration comparison takes several days, not one hour, because fragrance concentration levels only show up in wear. Put one version on the left forearm and another on the right with the same number of sprays, or better, wear one version per day on the same spot under similar conditions.
Note three moments: the opening in the first minutes, the heart around the one-hour mark, and the drydown late in the day. Write down comfort too, since a powerful version can become heavy in an office or a car. This grid separates a genuine difference in composition from a mere impression of quantity.
Do not compare on blotters: paper does not behave like skin. And do not pile up tests in one day, because your nose tires fast. Two references per session are plenty.
Concentration, bottle size and budget
In any perfume concentration comparison, the stronger versions usually cost more, but the sums are not linear. A 50 ml extrait can cost more than a 100 ml eau de toilette while needing fewer sprays per wear. Weigh the price against how you really use it. Fragrance concentration levels matter less than the cost per wear.
Sample sizes help here: a small bottle of each version shows which strength you actually reach for before you invest in a large one. The best value is the version you wear often, not the one with the biggest number on a chart.
Houses sometimes offer refillable bottles, as Dior notes for the 30 and 100 ml sizes of Sauvage in eau de toilette and eau de parfum. Reusing the bottle lowers the cost per millilitre. Check prices with the retailer, since they change and differ between countries.
Reading the label: fragrance, allergens and caution
On the box, the ingredient list groups scent components under the word parfum, followed by fragrance. In Europe, rules that reached their final phase on 31 July 2026 require individual declaration of more than 80 fragrance allergens on newly placed products. The label has become a finer tool than before.
In a perfume concentration comparison, the highest level raises the amount of scented material on your skin. If you are sensitive, try a small area first, wait, then decide. This caution is not medical advice: a health professional remains the right contact if a reaction appears.
As for the ingredients themselves, IFRA publishes standards for the safe use of perfumery raw materials, available in an online library. They are written for manufacturers, but they show that formulation follows limits whatever concentration is printed.