Perfumes and deodorants are both fragrances used by human beings to smell better. However, there are some major differences between the two.
Deodorants are generally used or sprayed directly on to the body for the purpose of concealing or covering any bad body odor caused naturally by bacterial growth. In other words, deodorants mainly help in removing bad body odor caused due to the bacterial breakdown of sweat or perspiration in different parts of the body, mainly the armpits and the feet.
Perfumes on the other hand are generally used or sprayed on clothes instead of the body and are responsible for providing extra aroma to the body. Perfumes always contain a high quantity of fragrant essential oils and compounds and are used to achieve a desired scent.
Deodorants generally contain about 10 to 15% of fragrant oils and also mild alcohol while perfumes contain 15 to 25% of fragrant oils in concentrated alcohol.
Usually, both deodorants and perfumes are used in conjunction with one another as they are complementary fragrances. Deodorants are responsible for neutralizing bad body odor and perfumes work to add extra scent. Ideally, one should always go for a mild smelling deodorant for the body and a stronger smelling perfume for the clothes.