No doubt you’ve heard the word attar thrown around before, but it can be confusing to figure out exactly what it means. Is it just another word for perfume? Although traditional attars are a relatively new concept due to the recent surge in demand, they have a long history. It is expected that Attars have become more popular in the new decade of the 2020s due to a variety of factors, including people’s shift towards organic cosmetics and long-lastingness, eco-friendliness, as well as over-saturated modern perfumery industries.
Let’s find out which one should you choose? What are the differences between the two? And how do you use them? Well, let’s try to clear things up by looking at both attar and perfume and seeing what makes them different from each other!
What is an Attar?
Essentially, an attar is a fragrance oil that’s been extracted from flowers or other plants. In fact, in Arabic, attar translates to essential oil. For a fragrance to be considered an attar, it has to retain its natural aroma for at least 2 years—which isn’t always easy! And attars are alcohol-free.
For example, jasmine attars are known for their bold floral scent; when you find a jasmine attar with both floral notes and base notes (such as vanilla) intact after two years have passed, you know you have something special. Many people consider attars to be superior alternatives to perfumes.
What is a Perfume?
These fragrances are derived from natural sources such as flowers, herbs, fruits, or roots. These are then extracted using solvents and alcohol. A major difference between attars and perfumes is that perfume products usually contain a lot of alcohol, which alters their composition slightly. This makes them lighter on the skin when applied. Or we can that perfume is a combination of essential oils, aroma compounds, fixatives, and solvents.
The word perfume comes from an ancient Latin term per fumus, which means through the smoke.
What are the differences between Attars and Perfumes, you ask?
If you’re curious about what makes perfume different from attars, here are some of their key differences: Attars are typically composed of a base note (along with middle notes and top notes). They’re not heavily scented, which means that they usually smell natural. Plus, they tend to be more expensive than perfumes. Let’s see in detail-
1. Attars are perfumes that are in oil form, while Perfumes can be referred to as ‘Spray’
The first difference between attars and perfumes lies in their physical form. While attars are perfumes that are in oil form, perfumes can be referred to as ‘spray’. So, if you’d like a perfume that comes in liquid form, then what you need is perfume. But on the other hand, if your preference falls on fragrances with an oil base, then it’s probably time to look into attars or aromatics oils.
2. The Making Process
Attar is an essential oil of flowers. It’s a concentrated form of the fragrance created by distilling certain kinds of flower petals, leaves, or rinds using steam in water. While perfume can be made from ingredients other than flowers—fruit, oakmoss, musk, ambergris—attar can only be distilled from aromatic parts of certain plants like rose and jasmine. In addition to being more concentrated than perfumes made from non-flower sources, attars are also less diluted with alcohol (or sometimes not at all). This means that they will last longer on your skin before fading away into nothingness—which explains why they often smell stronger than their synthetic counterparts.
3. Natural Vs Synthetic
Attars and Perfumes have a major difference, that is attars are natural-based while perfumes are chemical-based. It means all extracts that are used to make attars are natural; it makes them more suitable for people with allergies, as they contain no artificial preservatives or chemicals. The perfume on other hand doesn’t last long and has more chemicals, artificial oils, alcohol content, etc, which may cause side effects if you use it in excess. So perfumes aren’t recommended for regular usage whereas attars can be used every day without causing any harm to your skin or health!
4. Eco-Friendly
One of the main reasons to consider an attar over a perfume is for its eco-friendliness. Because attars are made from natural oils, they don’t have any synthetic ingredients. While there are many types of perfumes that contain natural ingredients, many perfumes do not, making them more harmful to our bodies. If you want to be safe in your fragrances, it’s best to stick with an attar.
5. Cost
While perfume is generally much cheaper than attar, its quality can be questionable. It’s a good idea to do some research into which brands have an excellent reputation for producing high-quality perfume. You may find that you’re willing to pay more for an authentic product with a scent you love. When shopping for attar, though, it’s probably best to invest in a higher-quality product. While many lower-priced options exist, it’s not necessarily possible to know if they contain real attar or even how long they’ll last before they go bad. Using too much of these cheaper oils can lead to adverse health effects as well, so don’t try to pinch pennies by buying something that isn’t genuine.
Choosing the best quality attar in India can be intimidating, especially if you are new to it. You must understand that there are many fragrances available in the market but not every fragrance has the original ingredients. You must try to associate yourself with a particular fragrance first, before making the decision of investing in it. Buy from the best range of fragrances and take guidance from the experts, if needed. We, at Hasanoud value your money and emotions. Hence, we bring to you the best fragrances for you. So, come join us in our new scent journey and experiment with the fragrances.
