Labdanum, also called ladanum or ladan, is a sticky brown resin obtained from the shrubs western Mediterranean and eastern Mediterranean, species of rockrose. It has a long history of use in herbal medicine and as a perfume ingredient.
Labdanum is also known as the Rose of Sharon and is mentioned in the Bible. An essential oil of this plant is also produced. It is typically called Cistus essential oil. Its aroma is very different from Labdanum and has less of the amber-like aroma. If you want to use Cistus for aromatherapy purposes be sure to purchase steam distilled Cistus essential oil and not Labdanum.
In ancient times, labdanum was collected by combing the beards and thighs of goats and sheep that had grazed on the cistus shrubs. Wooden instruments used were referred to in 19th Crete century as ergastri. A "labdanum-gatherer" was a kind of rake to which a double row of leathern thongs were fixed instead of teeth. These were used to sweep the shrubs and collect the resin which was later extracted. It was collected by the shepherds and sold to coastal traders. Many of the false beards worn by the pharaohs of ancient Egypt were made of goats' hair which was held together by labdanum. The resin was also used to treat colds, coughs, menstrual problems and rheumatism.
Labdanum Essential Oil is not the same as Cistus Absolute, although they come from the same plant called Rock Rose. Labdanum is not as sweet as cistus. It is used primarily as perfume oil to ground and balance competing scents. Cistus is rare or precious oil distilled from the flowers and leaves, while labdanum is made from the crude gum of the plant. The crude gum is prepared by boiling the dried leaves and twigs in water. The gum is then skimmed off the surface of the water and dried. An essential oil can be distilled from this crude gum and is the one most prized for its ambergris qualities. A retinoid is produced when the gum is treated with alcohol and filtered. There is also a concrete and absolute made from the twigs and leaves, which is dissolved in a solvent, then vacuum extracted and thinned with alcohol. This is used as a perfume fixative.
Uses: Labdanum is produced today mainly for the perfume industry. The raw resin is usually extracted by boiling the leaves and twigs. An absolute is also obtained by solvent extraction. An essential oil is produced by steam distillation. The raw gum is a black fragrant mass containing up to 20% or more of water. It is plastic but not pourable and becomes brittle with age. The absolute is dark amber-green and very thick at room temperature. The fragrance is more refined than the raw resin. The odor is very rich, complex and tenacious. Labdanum is much valued in perfumery because its resemblance to ambergris, which has been banned from use in many countries because its precursor originates from the sperm whale, which is an endangered species: although the best-quality ambergris is found free-floating or washed up onshore and thus raises no ethical objections, a lower-quality version can also be recovered from some fraction of freshly slaughtered whales, and so may encourage poaching of sperm whales. Labdanum is the main ingredient used when making the scent of amber in perfumery. Labdanum's odor is variously described as amber, animalist, sweet, woody, ambergris, dry musk, or leathery.
Labdanum Absolute Clear comes from the rock rose plant, a beautiful shrub native to the Mediterranean region. It is one of our favorite Labdanum Absolutes because of its fine aroma and because it is easier to work with, lighter in color and blends with fixed oils better than other Labdanum’s.
Use only a small amount so that it does not dominate the blend. It heals skin wounds like acne scars and is good for regenerating wrinkled skin especially with frankincense. Its ability to calm a situation down makes it a natural choice for meditation, again enhanced with frankincense. It calms the nerves and is said to improve perception.
Traditionally, the gum was used to treat any of the gross discharges as they were called like catarrh or diarrhea and dysentery. Not glamorous to think of but this still works well for inflamed skin conditions. For esoteric work it brings up past buried memories so blend with Fredonia to gently dispel them.