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Eau FactsHistory and legends

Did Napoleon wear eau de cologne?

The short answer

Yes. The Fondation Napoléon records that after his bath and shave Napoleon was rubbed down with eau de Cologne, and the Farina house, founded in Cologne on 13 July 1709, counts him and the Bonaparte family among its loyal customers. The water itself was light and citrus: bergamot, lemon and orange, not musk.

By the Fragnatique team2 min read5 sourcesUpdated

Napoleon's hat over a tall cologne flask and a lime slice, under the words Napoleon's cologne was born in 1709.Watch on Instagram

Key facts

  • 13 July 1709G. B. Farina is founded in Cologne, the DPMA records.
  • Bergamot, lemon, orangeThe notes of the original water, in place of the musk the nobility wore.
  • After bath and shaveNapoleon is rubbed down with eau de Cologne, says the Fondation Napoléon.
  • 1805Wilhelm Mülhens buys the name of a Carl Franz Farina and trades at Glockengasse 4711.
  • 1873Mülhens is forbidden to use Farina in the company name.
  • 3 to 8 percentIFRA's typical fragrance concentration for an eau de cologne.

Who invented eau de cologne?

Germany's patent and trade mark office, the DPMA, dates the firm G. B. Farina to 13 July 1709 in Cologne and says it is assumed to be the world's oldest perfume factory still in existence. Farina's own history credits Johann Maria Farina, who combined bergamot and other citrus oils with pure alcohol and named the scent Eau de Cologne after his new hometown.

What did the first eau de cologne smell like?

Light and citrus. The DPMA says it differed greatly from the heavy, extremely expensive perfumes the nobility wore: it was built not on musk but on bergamot, lemon and orange. The Société Française des Parfumeurs still places the first eaux de Cologne in the citrus family, worn by men and women alike.

Why is 4711 also called eau de cologne?

In 1805 Wilhelm Mülhens bought the name of a Carl Franz Farina from Bonn and traded as Franz Maria Farina, Glockengasse 4711, to profit from the Farina reputation, the DPMA records. Only in 1873 was he forbidden to use the Farina name. The address number lives on in the 4711 brand.

Is eau de cologne weaker than eau de parfum?

Usually. IFRA says the labels are general descriptors that no international standard strictly defines, but in common practice an eau de cologne holds about 3 to 8 percent fragrance, against 10 to 20 percent for an eau de parfum. Farina says its original is still made in Cologne today, from a strictly guarded recipe.

The full storyWhat Is Eau de Cologne? Farina, 1709, and Napoleon's Cologne12 min read in the Fragnatique Journal

Sources

Primary sources only. Every statement on this page restates one of them, read by the Fragnatique team.

  1. DPMA (German Patent and Trade Mark Office), Brands with history: Farinadpma.de
  2. Farina 1709, Historyfarina1709.com
  3. Fondation Napoléon, Une journée avec Napoléon Iernapoleon.org
  4. Société Française des Parfumeurs, Les familles olfactivessfp-parfumeurs.com
  5. IFRA, Using the Standards (FAQ on EdT, EdP and EdC)ifrafragrance.org

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