Perfumes or Deodrants?

INTRODUCTION

Fragrances date back to more than 4000 years. It is said that the art of the perfumery began in the in Egypt. Modern perfumery, However, didn’t start until the 19th century. We have been using these fragrances from thousand’s of years to stop Body odor. Have you ever wondered why you still smelt bad in-spite of use your regular deodorant? All those empty cans and people still running away from you? Well, you have been using them wrong your entire life. All those advertisements where woman go crazy when a man uses the Deodorant is pure nonsense. This probably leaves you wondering what you must be using instead?

In the world of fragrances, we often hear the terms Deodorants and Perfumes. We see so many people in our daily lives who spray these products over their clothes and body as if they were the same. People often fail to realize that these categories don’t serve the same purpose and have different compositions.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PERFUMES AND DEODORANTS

First off Let’s get our basics right. Deodorants are made to mask our body odor while perfumes are used to project their fragrances. One cannot really tell what is best because each of them has a purpose to serve. They are together called as Fragrances.  Though perfumes and deodorants have separate usage, they can be used simultaneously. However, the usage of one cannot be substituted by the other. There is one thing which is common in these fragrances – Alcohol. Very little amount of essential oils with mild alcohol is mixed in deodorants while perfumes have 15-25%  oils mixed with concentrated alcohol. Now, lets us learn more about them.

DEODORANT

The first ever Deodorant developed was a cream, that had to be applied to the armpit with fingers. Only in the 1970’s deodorant spray’s came into existence. All of us do see the spray’s and the roll on’s in our supermarkets. Do we really know what purpose each of them serves? Due to all the hype in the television ads, 90% of us go for the spray can. Did you know that Deodorant sprays project fragrances that last only up to an hour? A deodorant is made from fragrant oils that are 6-15% by volume in 80% solution of alcohol.  Well, now you know why you must have repelled quite a lot of girls.

On the other side, there are deodorant sticks which we quite often neglect. People whose body odor is on the higher side should use sticks as they serve the purpose. Their purpose is to mask the smell not enhance it. All of you who perspire a lot, don’t worry I got your back too. you must be using an antiperspirant. An antiperspirant has ingredients which are antimicrobial.

An antiperspirant when applied dissolves into the sweat and forms a gel coating on top. Most of the top brands do produce antiperspirants variants and they are easily available. The main difference between an antiperspirant and a stick is the former leaves a white residue. So now that we are thorough with our basics lets move on to our next lesson.

PERFUMES

Perfumes are liquids containing a higher percentage of essential oils and are generally applied to the clothes. These are mostly natural oils made from herbs, flowers, and spices. Let’s stick to the term Fragrances and you’ll understand why soon. The purpose of a fragrance is to project its own smell. Each fragrance has a style of its own. What works for others may not work well for us. What smells good in cold climates may not smell good in warm climates.

Fragrances are classified in into four types based on the percentage of essential oil content.

• Cologne ( Eau de Cologne) – 2-5 %
• Eau de toilette                       –  4-15%
• Eau de parfum                      –  10-20%
• Perfumes                                –  15-40%

Now you know why we are supposed to call them fragrances. But these percentages doesn’t mean they all smell much better. Perfumes and Eau de parfum’s work better outdoors and parties while the former to work better when you are indoors.

Some DO’s and DONT’s:

• Never spray them on your clothes. as they contain essential oils there are chances they might stain your clothes.
• Apply them on powerpoints like behind the ears, wrists, and dips of your collar bone.
• Never mix two different fragrances.
• Always keep a safe distance when you are applying them.
• Keep your skin hydrated so that your fragrance last’s longer.
• Less is more.

Nowadays, we often hear the term “body mists”. These contain 3% or less of aromatic compounds and are comparatively very cheap. If you are planning to invest in fragrances always consider where you spend your time the most. Only after a lot of experimentation, you will get to know what will suit you the most. Sooner or later you can have your own collection of fragrances.

Now that you are educated, dive deeper into the world of fragrances and explore.