How long does perfume last on skin? Let's talk about the scent longevity

You can say that putting on perfumes makes you feel special. Along with providing that special feeling, a decent perfume also holds power to uplift your mood and freshen you up at any moment in the day (check the best perfumes for her). 

While a good quality perfume can last for as long as 24 hours, an average one might not be able to retain its longevity on the skin for more than a few hours. You must be wondering how you could find the secret formula to determine how long a perfume would last on your skin. 

The Factors Affecting the Longevity of the Perfume

Many factors help determine the longevity of perfumes on the skin. In the beginning, it may seem somewhat scientific to you but don't worry; we'll make it as simple for you as possible.

Molecular Composition: The Perfume Chemistry

Perfumes are made up of molecules that come in different sizes. You might not know it, but the size of these molecules and the smell of your perfume are co-related. The size of these molecules determines how quickly the molecule will oxidize. 

Small molecules tend to get oxidized quickly as they have few electrons to give away. However, large molecules oxidize slower as compared to smaller ones. Usually, sweet and musky scents have large molecules, whereas light citrus aromas have small molecules. 

Hence, you should know that if you're looking for a long-lasting perfume (check the best long lasting perfumes for ladies), you should consider the aromas of large molecules. 

The Skin Type

Even though oily skin has a bad reputation as it looks greasy and is prone to blemishes and pimples, it serves to be quite beneficial when perfumes are concerned. 

The fragrant molecules are retained better on the oily skin, so perfumes last longer on this skin type. However, if you don't have oily skin, you can moisturize it before spraying the fragrance on it. The skin type may not create a huge difference, but it still does help improve your perfume longevity. 

Concentration

You might not have noticed, but perfumes come in different concentration levels. Eau de Parfum (EDP) and Eau de Toilette (EDT) are the two most popular ones. If you don't know what concentration means, it is the amount of aroma chemicals and essential oils diluted in alcohol. 

Generally, it is believed that the more concentrated a fragrance is, the longer it will last. However, things are slightly different in practice, as increasing the concentration makes the fragrance project more in the same short time interval. 

The same perfume is released in different versions, and usually, the Parfum and EDP versions tend to be comparatively stronger and richer. Therefore, even though it doesn't directly affect the perfume's longevity, it does play a role in it. 

Conclusion

Summing it up, the perfumes made up of large molecules and have a Parfum or EDP concentration tend to last longer compared to others. Hence, if you're looking for long-lasting perfume, keep those factors in mind before purchasing one.