Colognes and Aftershaves often confuse consumers shopping for men's fragrances as both typically have clear 'masculine' scents, but the fact is Colognes and Aftershaves are miles apart in terms of their composition and functions.
Aftershaves:
Aftershave is, as the name implies, a liquid that is used on the skin of people after shaving. This is to prevent the skin pores from clogging by cleaning them and closing them with the use of alcohol-based aftershaves. Razor blades are extremely sharp and can damage the skin even after a clean shave, which is why it is necessary to apply an aftershave to preserve the sensitivity of one's skin. Alcohol and witch hazel are two main ingredients frequently used in Aftershaves. Aftershaves typically consists of an antibacterial formula that seals the pores in order to minimize any bacterial infections that one can encounter from razor burns or open wounds after shaving. Aftershaves are also given a fragrance to make the user feel fresh and clean and provide a simple, general aura of pleasant scents.
Colognes:
Colognes sole focus is to make the wearer smell good. Colognes don't have any advantages for the skin as with Aftershaves but they will leave you smelling good all day long! Colognes are a great way to keep you smelling fresh and can be worn day or night, or at formal or informal events! Wear cologne so that the fragrance is kept light and airy during the day and go with darker musk during the night. Cologne should be applied to the skin in order to absorb and blend the essential oils with the natural oil of the skin which creates a specific aroma. In order to get most out of Colognes, you must wear it on your pulse points where the body temperature is highest. In this way when your body heats up after sweating, the Cologne particles vaporize in the air to leave a fresh smell. Because colognes are mostly used for fragrances, they cannot be used as an Aftershave substitute.