Why Is Perfume Called Toilet Water? (Read And Find Out)

When we think about toilet water, nothing pleasant comes to our mind. However, perfumes are the epitome of class and sophistication.

It is completely okay to wonder how perfume can be addressed as something like toilet water.

Keep reading to give your curious mind all the answers it’s looking for and get enlightened.

Why Is Perfume Called Toilet Water?

Eau De Toilette is a perfume of Hungarian heritage, translating to toilet water in English. The appropriate meaning is grooming water. Also often called aromatic waters because of their beautiful smell. Eau de Toilette is a lightly scented cologne used as a skin freshener.

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Why Do We Call Perfume Toilet Water?

You must have seen many perfume bottles labeled as Eau De Toilette. Many famous brands have Eau De Toilette in their fragrances.

Eau De Toilette is a perfume that is also known as toilet water. You might have wondered if that perfume is actually made of toilet water or not.

However, the more appropriate meaning of Eau De Toilette is “aromatic water,” but interpreted as toilet water.

Here, toilet water represents how water is used to freshen up, like grooming yourself with fragrant products.

In French, cleaning oneself for refreshment, shaving, or bathing- these activities are referred to as toilette. And all these grooming actions require aromatic water so that you can smell good.

Toilet water has only 10 to 15 percent of an alcohol base. It is comparatively low in concentration since a pure perfume has a much higher percentage up to 20 percent in concentration.

So, the toilet water, originally named Eau De Toilette, is the representation of water that gives a beautiful smell.

This is why many perfumes, especially colognes, have Eau De Toilette in them.

Why Is Perfume Called Eau De Toilette?

Eau De Toilette is a french name since it’s a french perfume. The French language is poles apart from the English language.

Many years ago, french perfumers had to commercialize their selling approach towards perfume. It was a way to put their scents on the market.

However, perfumes are classified into three different categories according to their characteristics. The scents are different in concentration and flavor. The three scents are:

Since they are differentiated, people can select their preferences. The three categories are different in the following ways:

But since French people made these classifications, the names were lost on translations when they launched globally.

Eau De Toilette perfume is for products like body wash, soaps, shampoos, and such; these are all toiletry products for our body.

So, as EDT’s purpose is to bring fragrance in toiletries, it then got the Eau De Toilette to suit its character.

Furthermore, manufacturers worldwide always kept on exploiting Eau De Parfum and Eau De Toilette for commercialization. No one has bothered to introduce the correct standardized meaning.

In French, toilette means pretty up. Since perfume has an essential contribution to our attire, the french thought toilette would be a pretty name for perfume.

Thus, the term toilet water can often confuse us. But in reality, Eau De Toilette means a type of water that is beautiful.

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Is Eau De Toilette A Joke?

No, Eau De Toilette is not a joke because it is a perfume and not toilet water. The word ‘Eau De Toilette’ is not familiar to us because it’s French. And if we googled to get the translation, it would show toilet water. But the French meaning of EDT is lovely.

When we translate something from one language to another, we often lose the original language’s subtleties.

You can easily opt for EDT as a refreshing everyday option. It works great for daytime or work environments.

Since it has top-heavy compositions makes it an excellent choice for layering and appropriate for summer.

Eau De Toilette is light and fresh, whereas Eau De Parfum is richer and suitable for the evening.

Furthermore, EDT is not very expensive compared to its siblings.

Of course, Eau De Toilette doesn’t mean toilet water. The term is actually derived from a cloth called toile, which was a scented cloth.

The cloth then inspired the heavy fragrance, and the quality of the fabric was so good that it could hold the scent for a long time.

However, sanitation and bathing weren’t so widespread then as it is now. So, people would take toile and rub it all over their body, which would give them a pleasant odor.

So, we get the word “toilette” from toilet, which represents a room where someone would freshen up.

Now, you can deduce that the definition of the toilette is very similar to a bathroom. Because of that, The English translation of Eau De Toilette led to toilet water, as ‘Eau De’ means water.

Eau De Toilette is inspired to make us feel refreshed as it lasts for about 6 to 8 hours, which is a decent time.

How To Use Eau De Toilette?

The best way to use Eau De Toilette is by applying it to dry skin.

Since EDT is a cologne, don’t spray it into the and walk right through it. Just hold the bottle 2-3 inches away from you while spraying.

Aim for the heated areas of your body like chest, neck, lower jaw, wrist, forearm, inner elbow, and shoulders.

The heat from your body will help to hold the scent and make it last longer.

Also, you do not want to overspray because EDT can come off as very strong. So, too much of it can make you smell loud.

Furthermore, EDT is very diluted. So applying petroleum jelly or an unscented lotion before using EDT can help to lock the scent more.

It is also a great hack to increase longevity, and unscented products will not mess with the scent of your perfume.

Also, if you spray on your hair and clothes, this can help add an overall lingering effect EDT.

Eau De Toilette is a refreshing everyday option to make you feel radiant.

What Is The Difference Between Toilet Water And Perfume?

Eau De Perfum, known as perfume, and Eau De Toilette, also called toilet water, are different in intensity, price, and longevity.

Samantha Taylor, a fragrance specialist from Powder Room, says that the most significant difference between Eau De Toilette and Eau De Parfum is their concentration.

EDP is much stronger than EDT because its concentration of essential oil is higher.

High fragrance concentration means there is a high percentage of essential oil and less alcohol.

Also, EDT is less expensive than EDP because it contains less perfume oils.

However, EDP is very potent, so that a few sprays would suffice. It compensates for its high price.

EDT is made with a smaller dose of perfume oil, so it lasts less compared to EDP. They both also react differently to the skin.

Since EDP lasts longer than EDT, it is better for the nighttime.

On the other hand, EDT is an excellent choice for daytime settings.

However, the difference between Eau De Toilette and Eau De Perfum is very subtle because their formula is not much different.

Which Is Better Perfume Or Toilet Water?

When we choose a fragrance, there are specific criteria that need to tick the checklist.

The longevity of a fragrance is an essential factor as well as budget and your environment.

Eau De Toilette and Eau De Parfum are different in nature
EDT is more light-footed and transparent, whereas EDP exposes more deep and sensual elements.

The top notes of EDT are dominant, making it a refreshing fragrance when applied. But since the alcohol content is high in EDT, the scent quickly evaporates.

On the other hand, EDP has many essential oils, so when the top notes fade, the middle notes emerge, making them more prominent.

Due to their characteristics, EDT is more suitable for daytime or in a working environment. EDP is more suited for night events like clubs or so as it’s so intense.

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Flush Your Confusions

As the old saying goes, “don’t judge a book by its cover.” It can be difficult at first to comprehend that perfume can be called toilet water.

Toilet water is actually the English-translated version of Eau De Toilette. It is a French perfume that originally means “aromatic water.”

So, don’t be put off with the idea just yet, because as Shakespeare would say, “what’s in a name as a rose would still smell the same if called otherwise.”

Though mistranslated, Eau De toilette is a beautiful, refreshing fragrance used in colognes.

So, the next time you see a perfume labeled as Eau De Toilette, I hope you won’t ignore it and give it a shot, at least.

I hope this article helped you out with your questions and queries.

However, you are always welcome and encouraged to share your thoughts in the comment section below.