What Is the Difference Between Deodorant & Cologne?
Deodorant and cologne are both men's body-care products for scenting the skin and masking unpleasant odors, but they vary in base materials, active ingredients, recommended uses and cost. Moreover, the fragrances in deodorants are geared toward fresh, sporty scents, while many colognes focus on sophisticated green, woody scents that evoke the great outdoors. Does this Spark an idea?
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Base Ingredients
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Deodorants come in solid, gel, roll-on liquid and aerosol bases, while men's cologne is a spray-on liquid. Solid deodorants may contain dipropylene or propylene glycol, sodium stearate, stearyl alcohol, emollients, fragrance and colors in their bases. Cologne, on the other hand, contains alcohol and distilled water as a base.
Active Ingredients
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The active ingredients in most men's deodorants and scented antiperspirants is aluminum zirconium tetrachlorohydrex GLY, which inhibits sweating and the resulting body odor. Some deodorants do not contain the antiperspirant ingredient and simply cover up unpleasant odors. Similarly, cologne does not contain antiperspirant ingredients, and its only "active" ingredient is the fragrance oil itself, which is dissolved in the base of alcohol and water.
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Uses
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Deodorants are exclusively rolled on or sprayed under the arms where sweating is likely to occur. Users apply colognes on the pulse points, back of the neck, chest or arms to create an aura of scent.
Fragrances
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Manufacturers focus on infusing deodorants with "manly" scents that evoke sporty, energetic outdoor activities. Old Spice, for example, features such scents as Arctic Force, Pacific Surge, Pure Sport, Smooth Blast, Game Day and Aqua Reef, while Gillette's ClearShield deodorant comes in Arctic Ice, Cool Wave and Power Rush scents. Colognes feature more refined fragrances with more complex olfactory notes, such as woody, spicy, green, herbal and oriental facets. Faberge's Brut cologne, introduced in 1964, is a fougere fragrance with spicy/herbal notes.
Cost
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Men's deodorants, sold in drugstores, range in price from $3 to $10. Men's colognes for the mass market are also sold in drugstores, usually for $10 to $20, but higher-end fine fragrances can cost more than $50 per bottle at department stores and online retailers.
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References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Bryan Brenneman
