Perfumes and deodorants have become essential items in our daily grooming arsenal, and the reason behind using a deodorant or a perfume is to omit body odour. Yet many people are unaware of the differences between the two, because they believe that since they serve one purpose, they are the same, and use it without knowing their key distinctions.
Each of these scents is highly distinct from the other, and if you are someone with a keen interest in fragrances, you must know how to distinguish a deodorant from a perfume. While they both contribute to how we smell, their functions, ingredients, and effects on the body are quite distinct.
Though both perfumes and deodorants have pheromone essences, their terms, application, and composition significantly vary from one another. The art of making perfumes dates back to ancient times. The term ‘perfume’ is derived from the Latin words ‘perthrough’ and ‘fumfum’, which means pressing and boiling of plants to extract aromatic oils, known as perfumery. It is made using plant matter and extracting essential oils, and the firstever perfumes were made by blending beeswax, fat, and oils.
The credit for making the first liquid perfume goes to the Greeks, but it was the development of the distillation process by the Arabs which made the perfume manufacturing process viable. On the other hand, a deodorant is a comparatively modern invention that dates back to the late 1800s and relies on chemicals, anti-microbial and metalchelating compounds that helped in neutralising the body odour.
The first ever deodorant made ‘Mum’ was a waxy cream that came in a metal tin and contained zinc oxide, which helped fight odour. So, how can one differentiate be twe en pe r fume s and deodorants? Perfumes are made by combining aromatic essential oils and alcohol. The intensity of oil is high, based on the type of perfume that is being created. Perfumes are mostly sold in spray mists and perfume bottles.
Whereas, deodorants include essential oils, scents, and chemicals that help in fighting the microorganisms in perspiration. Deodorants come in the form of sprays, roll-ons, and stick applicators. The intense aroma that a perfume has is because of the substances used to make it; that is why the price of the perfumes invariably varies based on how strong their fragrances are.
Whereas deodorants, though they contain some kind of smell, are not as strong as perfumes. That is because the sole purpose of applying deodorant is to camouflage the unpleasant scents produced by microorganisms in the body. Whereas, perfumes on the other hand have a pleasing fragrance that appeals to the users.
Lastly, though both perfumes and deodorants have an aesthetic appeal, both these products serve two distinct purposes, and that is why most individuals prefer to buy deodorants over perfumes, as they come with high-end cosmetic names because of which they are often considered luxury cosmetics.