What is the Difference Between Perfumes and Essential Oils?

Get the facts on perfumes and essential oils.

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Every lady loves to smell good, and finding the right fragrance for yourself can sometimes prove tricky. There are a bevy of scented products to choose from -- including perfumes, Eau de Parfum, Eau du Toilette, perfume oils and essential oils. But one of these options isn't actually meant for wearing fashionably, and instead was created for healing purposes. Before you're quick to snap up one of these exotic-smelling products, get the facts on which one is right for you.

Perfume

There's nothing more romantic than spritzing yourself with a little perfume. Women have been doing it for centuries, proving that the right scent can enhance any look. Perfume is made of 22 percent essential oils and 78 percent denatured ethyl alcohol. It has a higher concentration of essential oils than either Eau de Parfum or Eau de Toilette, giving it a richer scent and making it more expensive. Most perfumes combine several essential oils to come up with a singular, unique scent.

Tips for Wearing

Not every perfume smells great on every gal. Typically, your scent will fall into the citrus, flower, woody, water or oriental category. Before you spend your hard-earned dough on a scent, test it out on your arm. When you do choose the perfect fragrance, apply it to your pulse points without rubbing the perfume into your skin, as this will crush the scent. You can also spritz a little in the air and walk into it.

Essential Oil

News flash: An essential oil isn't really an oil at all. It's actually a liquid distilled from the flower, bark, root or stem of a plant. Though an essential oil may smell sumptuously fragrant, it's not meant to be worn like a perfume. Instead, essential oils are used for therapeutic benefits ranging from insomnia to stress, so they're great for the lady who loves to heal the all-natural way. Much like perfume though, essential oils can vary in price. This all depends on the rarity of the plant and where the plant comes from.

How To Use

The two most common ways to use essential oils is to either inhale their scent or apply them directly to the skin. You can also reap the benefits of essential oils by adding them to a bath, lotion or using them on your hair. Use an oil solo or blend a few fragrances together, depending on your needs. Essential oils can typically be found at health-food and aromatherapy stores. Before you choose, consult a professional on which one is best for you.

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