Why Fragrance Sprays May Not Be Your Best Bet For Long-Lasting Scent

Like many people, you might have a favorite fragrance spray or body mist that you can't leave the house without. You spray yourself from head to toe, head out for the day, and then you realize the scent is already gone 30 minutes later. You paid for a sweet-smelling scent, so why isn't it doing the job?

This has been a hot topic on TikTok, and you may have seen videos about how fragrance sprays don't last very long. One creator, known as Kermishy on TikTok, posted a viral video explaining how there are distinct differences between fragrance products, which is why some of them last longer than others. This video has received over 400,000 likes, so you're certainly not alone if you weren't aware of these differences. 

Starting from the longest lasting, the various types include perfume oils, perfumes, eau de parfum, eau de toilette, cologne, as well as body creams and lotions. Fragrance sprays, though they smell wonderful, are at the very bottom rung along with body creams. This is due to the low ratio of perfume oil to water and alcohol solution. If you consider yourself a fragrance beginner, this is good to know when choosing your next signature fragrance.

If you've noticed how your perfumes last much longer than your fragrance sprays, this is because of the difference in perfume oil levels. Fragrance spray alone unfortunately doesn't ensure that you'll smell like a bed of roses all day. With fragrances, the general rule of thumb is the higher the concentration of perfume oil, the longer the scent will last.

According to experts at Fragrance X, fragrance sprays or body mists have a perfume oil concentration of just 3-5%. The rest of the product is made up of a water and alcohol solution. You can see if the fragrance brand makes your favorite scent in a perfume rather than a spray or mist, so then you'll have a longer lasting scent.

But if you really can't part with your favorite fragrance spray, there are ways to make it last a little longer. Fragrance experts tell Real Simple that spraying body mists on moisturized skin can help scents hold longer. They also suggest spraying the scent on pulse points like your wrists and the nape of your neck. "These [areas] react with the natural fluctuations in your body temperature, and in turn, emit your scent throughout the day," celebrity fragrance developer Vince Spinnato explains to the outlet.

Unlike fragrance sprays, perfumes and eau de parfum products contain higher amounts of perfume oil in their formulations. Fragrance expert Cordelia Smith tells Real Simple that perfume has a 15-20% concentration of perfume oil, and eau de parfum is just slightly lower with a concentration of 8-15%. Eau de toilettes sit at the lower end of the spectrum with a 4-8% concentration.

If you want your signature scent to last for most of the day, you'll need a perfume rather than a fragrance spray. A major plus to making this switch is that you won't need as much product for the scent to go a long way. With fragrance sprays, on the other hand, you'll likely waste most of the product trying to make it the scent stay longer. Though perfumes are pricier, their scents stay on the skin much longer, which can save you money in the long run.