Labdanum Absolute

Steam-extracted cistus resin from Mediterranean rockrose. Ancient, ambery, and animalic: one of perfumery's oldest materials, historically collected from goat fleece.

Obtained from the oleoresinous secretion of Cistus ladanifer (Spanish rockrose), a shrub native to the western Mediterranean basin. Historically the crude gum was collected from the fleece of grazing goats, later by direct leaf harvesting. The absolute is produced by washing the crude gum with ethanol to remove plant waxes, rather than by distillation, which yields cistus oil instead. Dominated by labdane-type diterpenoids, principally labdanolic acid, alongside labdane diols and methylated flavonoids, producing its characteristic warm, ambery, animalic, and balsamic character with leathery and woody facets. One of perfumery's oldest raw materials, with documented use dating to ancient Egypt.