Does a more expensive perfume's scent last longer than a generic brand?

I chose to experiment perfume for this project because it was something I use everyday. Perfume is something I wear on a daily basis to help me smell good. I wanted to find out if different brands of perfume by price has an effect on the scent's longevity. I have so many different brands of perfume in my house so it was very easy to perform the experiment.






Chemistry Research: One chemical substance that is found in my product is Alcohol Denat. This substance came from ethanol and is found in alcoholic beverages. Its primary function is an astringent. This is a substance that causes biological tissue to contract together. The use of alcohol denat in perfumes helps break down perfume ingredients. It helps merge oils and aroma products together.

Another chemical substance found in my product is Butlyphenyl Methylpropional. This product is a synthetic pale yellow liquid with a floral aroma. It is used as a fragrance additive. It is also used in laundry powders. This chemical may cause dermatitis. The last chemical substance i found in my product is Coumarin. This substance is used just for the smell of the perfume. It claims that the smell is sweet, has a smelling of almonds, vanilla and freshly-mown hay. It is found in both fragrances and flavorings and is extremely versatile and popular. This chemical is also very dangerous.

Experimental Procedure: For this experiment, for three days i sprayed one type of perfume on my wrist each day. Throughout the day, i would smell my wrist every 30 minutes to see if the scent faded or not. I also let someone else smell my wrist to see if they smelled it too. I recorded when the scent faded away and how long it lasted. 

 Steps:

             1. First day, woke up and showered

             2. Got dress and sprayed Minajesty perfume on wrist at 7:05 am 

             3. Every 30 min, shymia and I smelled my wrist

             4. Record how strong the scent is 

             5. Second day, woke up and showered
             6. Got dressed and sprayed the Curve perfume on my wrist
             7. Repeated steps 3&4
             8. Last day, woke up and showered
             9. Got dressed and sprayed the Victoria secret perfume on my wrist
            10. Repeated steps 3&4

Observations

Scent faded away around 1pm, but still was there Scent faded more around 2:30 pm and was hard to smell but still was there Smell was completely gone by 4pm

Scent faded away around 11:30 am but still was there Faded even more around 1 pm and could barely smell it The smell was completely gone by 3:30pm

This scent was the strongest at every checkpoint Scent did  not start to fade until 10pm It was very strong throughout the day and did not fade Smell began to fade more around 12 pm

Results: Based on the chart, the generic brands longevity was much more stable than the more expensive brand. Throughout the day, the generic brans scent was so strong. The scent was still strong at 12 pm that night unlike the other brands. The most expensive brand (Victoria Secret) did not last long at all. That scent failed their claim the most. The reason why the generic brand's scent had lasted so long was because of a substance called Benzoin. Benzoin is a balsamic resin extracted from different species of trees. It is used in many cosmetic products like perfumes and lotions. The purpose of Benzoin in perfumes is to make the scent last long. Benzoin is suppose to increase the longevity and stability of the scent. This is a product that the other two products don't use. This is the reason why the generic brand has surpassed the more expensive brands. Victoria Secret and Minajesty are such of an expensive company but does not live up to their claims.




Personal & Environmental Safety: One chemical that's in my product that has some safety concerns is Coumarin. This is a natural product that was discovered in the 1820's. It claims to have a pleasant sweet odor but too much of this chemical and it can to toxic to the liver. This chemical is also bad for animals. They would spray this chemical on plants to keep animals from getting them. Another chemical that is a safety risk is Propylene Glycol. This chemical is clear and used on foods, soaps, and cigarettes. In large quantities, this chemical can cause health damage. Also, it can effect the aquatic life and will kill the animals.



Proposed Improvement: One improvement that I believe would help to improve these products are to use safer ingredients. It may be possible to only use natural ingredients to make these products because they are complicated, but even if its safer than its better to use. We are putting these products on our skin and near our face. These products should not do no harm to our skin.