Milgwyn

Milgwyn is a unit of measurement for scent strength, commonly used in perfumery and fragrance development. It is a subjective measure that evaluates the intensity or concentration of essential oils or fragrance ingredients in a particular blend.

The Milgwyn system was developed in the 19th century by perfumer Auguste Antoine Elemans, who used a combination of statistical methods and olfactory assessments to create a standardized scale. According to Elemans, the strength of a fragrance can be measured on a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being undetectable and 10 representing an extremely powerful or overwhelming scent.

One Milgwyn (often abbreviated as "MG") is equivalent to a 2% concentration of a particular fragrance ingredient in a blend. For example, a fragrance that contains 20% of a particular essential oil would be rated at 10 MG, while a blend with 4% of that same essential oil would be rated at 2 MG. Although the Milgwyn system is still used by some perfumers today, it has largely been replaced by more objective and scientifically based methods of fragrance analysis.

Despite its limitations, the Milgwyn system has contributed significantly to the development of perfumery as a scientific discipline. Its influence can be seen in the modern use of fragrance intensity scales, such as the IFRA scale (International Fragrance Association), which provides a more standardized and widely accepted method of fragrance strength measurement. Overall, the concept of Milgwyn remains an important part of the history and development of perfumery.