Organic Wild Cistus Essential Oil

Description

Rockrose belongs to the Cistaceae family. It is an evergreen shrub.
It can reach up to 2 metres in height, with deep green leaves and a reddish stem. Both the leaves and stems are covered in a very sticky, aromatic gum-resin that protects the plant from UV rays and dehydration. This gum is the source of the famous labdanum, so highly prized in fine perfumery.
The fruit is capsule-shaped. The seeds are released only under the influence of intense heat (rockrose is a pyrophytic plant) or fire.

Its beautiful white flowers with purple markings appear in spring. There is a subspecies (cistus ladanifer ssp albinus) with white flowers.
It grows from sea level up to around 1500 metres in altitude. It is abundant in Extremadura, Andalusia, the regions of Ávila and Cáceres, and Portugal. It also grows in Morocco, Algeria, southern France and the Canary Islands.

The use of labdanum as a perfume has been known since Antiquity, in Persia, Crete and Egypt, where it was used to make incense.
Rockrose gum-resin was an ingredient in the ointments used in Egypt for embalming. It is mentioned several times in the Bible.
More recently in perfumery, labdanum replaced ambergris (a secretion from sperm whales), an excessively expensive and rare substance.
The plant was also used for its sedative, stomach-pain-relieving and counterirritant properties. It was also recommended for whooping cough, coughs, wounds, hernias and fractures.

Rockrose wood has been used to fuel bread ovens, make charcoal for braziers, and manufacture cork beehives and various objects (needles, traps, bobbins).
In Morocco, people ate the fresh flower petals and seeds (mixed with wheat to make flour).

Rockrose pollen is one of the best pollens because of its high protein value. It also provides all the vitamins, minerals and amino acids offered by other pollens.
The plant sometimes secretes a honeydew called “rockrose honey”, which was eaten as a “sweet treat”.
Its resin has also been used to make sweets, chewing gum and confectionery, and can even be chewed directly.
The aroma of rockrose essential oil is complex: it is one of the few plants with an almost animal-like aroma. It tends to repel some people, while others feel irresistibly drawn to it. This also depends on the quality of the essential oil.
Its aroma is initially fresh and somewhat mentholated, clearing the nose and forehead and easing breathing. After a few seconds, it transforms into a sweet, spicy, warm, sensual and deep fragrance that may evoke amber, incense or sacred scents such as those found in churches or temples.
Rockrose essential oil is used mainly for skincare, specifically to support healing processes, prevent skin ageing and repair or regenerate the skin (wrinkles).
And of course it is also used in natural perfumery, where it is a key ingredient when an amber note is desired.

Appearance: Clear liquid, yellow to reddish brown

Solubility: Soluble in Alcohol. Insoluble in water

Precautions

Do not use during pregnancy or in children under 6 years of age except under professional supervision.

Taxonomy

Botanical name: Cistus ladanifer - Family: Cistaceae - Genus: Cistus