The key difference between body mist and perfume is that body mists are less concentrated and lighter, whereas perfumes are highly concentrated and heavier.
Both body mists and perfumes give a pleasant smell and help to prevent unpleasant body odours. Body mists are applied to the skin. They are applied on pulse points such as at the nape of the neck, behind the ears, under the armpits, insides of wrists, elbows and knees. Perfumes are applied to clothes. They too are applied on pulse points but it is not safer for the skin like body mists and may cause skin irritation.
CONTENT
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Body Mist
3. What is Perfume
4. Body Mist vs Perfume in Tabular Form
5. Summary – Body Mist vs Perfume
What is Body Mist?
A body mist is a less concentrated, lighter and softer variety of perfume. These are also referred to as body sprays. It has a subtle, delicate and pleasant smell that usually lasts up to 4 hours. The smell decreases at a faster rate. This is similar to deodorant and can be applied to various places of the body. Body mists are a mixture of water, alcohol and small amounts of aromatic extracts and essential oils. These fragrances do not have an overpowering, strong smell, so we need to reapply them throughout the day. Therefore, they often come in larger sizes.
Benefits of Using a Body Mist
- Have a pleasant, delicate smell even when at home
- Maintain a refreshing wardrobe
- Stay refreshed all-day
- Stay away from unwanted body odour
- Increase confidence
- Works as a mood enhancer
- Helps aromatherapy
- Increase attractiveness
- Budget-friendly
- Good for insomnia
If someone is allergic to strongly scented perfumes, he/she can use body mists as an alternative.
What is a Perfume?
A perfume is a mixture of highly concentrated essential oils and solvents that gives off a pleasant scent. The word ‘perfume’ originated from the Latin word ‘perfumare,’ which means ‘to smoke through’. Modern perfumery began in the 19th century, but perfumes have a long history. It is considered that perfumery first began in ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia and the Indus valley civilization. In those days, it was used by the wealthy to get rid of unpleasant body odours.
Perfumes are usually applied to clothes. The longevity of perfumes depends on their concentration of aromatic compounds and essential oils. When the percentage of these aromatic compounds increases, the longevity and intensity of the perfume rise.
Categories of Perfumes According to their Concentration of Aromatic Compounds
- Parfum – 15–40% aromatic compounds
- spriEt de parfum (ESdP): 15–30% aromatic compounds
- Eau de parfum (EdP) or parfum de toilette (PdT) – 10–20% aromatic compounds
- Eau de toilette (EdT) – 5–15% aromatic compounds.
- Eau de Cologne (EdC) – often called cologne, 3–8% aromatic compounds
- Eau Fraiche – products sold as ‘splashes’, ‘mists’, and ‘veils’. These products contain 3% or less aromatic compounds and are diluted with water rather than oil or alcohol
Perfumes are also described according to their fragrance notes:
- Top notes or head notes – These are the scents that are identified immediately when the perfume is applied. They include small, light particles that evaporate quickly. They create a person’s first impression of a perfume and are very important in the selling of the perfume.
- Middle notes or heart notes – This is the scent of a perfume that emerges just before the complete evaporation of the top note. The middle note has the ‘heart’ or main body of a perfume.
- Base notes – This is the scent of a perfume that appears close to the evaporation of the middle notes. The base and middle notes together are the main theme of a perfume. Base notes bring depth to a perfume. The compounds of this class of scents are rich and deep. They are usually not revealed until 30 minutes after application.
What is the Difference Between Body Mist and Perfume?
The key difference between body mist and perfume is that body mists are less concentrated and lighter while perfumes are highly concentrated and heavier. Moreover, body mists are applied on pulse points such as at the nape of the neck, behind the ears, under the armpits, insides of wrists, elbows and knees. Perfumes are applied to clothes. They can be applied on pulse points, but they are not very safe for skin like body mists and may cause skin irritation. In addition, perfumes are more expensive than body mists.
The below infographic lists the differences between body mist and perfume in tabular form for side by side comparison
Summary – Body Mist vs Perfume
A body mist is a less concentrated, lighter and softer variety of perfume. The alcohol and essential oil concentration are low in body mists, so they have a delicate and light fragrance. Because of this less concentration, the smell does not last longer than 3 or 4 hours. They have to be reapplied throughout the day. Body mists are applied on the skin, and they are safer for the skin. A perfume, on the other hand, is a mixture of highly concentrated essential oils and solvents that are used to give a scent. They have a high essential oil and alcohol concentration, and therefore, they have a strong, overpowering smell. Perfumes are applied to the clothes, and the smell lasts throughout the day. Perfumes are not safe for the skin as they may cause skin irritation. Thus, this is the summary of the difference between body mist and perfume.
Reference:
1. “What Is the Use of Body Mist.” Perfume Tips, 16 Oct. 2020.
2. “Perfume.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 5 Oct. 2021.
Image Courtesy:
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