Labdanum Essential Oil

The above video shows the ancient technique of Labdanum harvest in Crete and is posted by a gentleman there who is directly involved in keeping that tradition alive. His blog is worth visiting.
In depth Citus/Labdanum information

During the early part of our ride yesterday, we passed through some forests of magnificent cork trees. The valleys are covered with strawberry-tree(Arbutus unedo), the aromatic cistus(Cistus ladaniferus), great quantities of myrtles, honeysuckles, and wood-roses. You may easily conceive how beautiful an fragrant these little dales are, where Flora has been so prodigal with her gifts.
Letters from Portugal and Spain
By Adam Neale

"Ledanum, which the Arabs call ladanum, is procured in a yet stranger fashion. Found in a most inodorous place, it is the sweetest-scented of all substances. It is gathered from the beards of he-goats, where it is found sticking like gum, having come from the bushes on which they browse. It is used in many sorts of unguents, and is what the Arabs burn chiefly as incense.-Herodotus

Different Essences Extracted/Distilled from Cistus ladaniferus

Before presenting my impressions of the aromatic profile of Labdanum essential oil it is important to note that the shrub, Cistus ladaniferus is the source of several distinct products. There is cistus oil which is distilled from the fresh foliage of the plant, there is Labdanum essential oil which is hyrodistilled from the resinoid of the produced from the plant. The resinoid is produced by immersing the freshly harvested resin coated leaves in warm carbonated water. The raw gum-resin separates from the leaves and water and forms the wonderfully aromatic sticky mass which is then dried. It is this material which is hydrodistilled to produce the Labandum essential oil. The Cistus concrete is produced by solvent extraction of the fresh leaves and the absolute is produced from that. Labdanum absolute is produced by solvent extraction of the resin.

Olfactory Properties of Labdanum Essential Oil

Labdanum essential oil, though possessing the characteristics of a true base note has an equally powerful aromatic presence at every stage or its life span(top, middle, base notes) Within a few seconds of placing a few drops on the aroma stone the intense deep, warm, resinous-coniferous bouquet begins to disperse to all corners of the room. Within 30 seconds this potent complex aroma has saturated the atmosphere of the room. The richness, depth and intensity of the aroma is incredible immediately revealing a very clear, high, elevating presence.
About 30 minutes into the study, one begins to perceive some of the subtle notes that are interwoven into the overall bouquet. A somewhat powdery, aromatic spicy notes appear amidst the rich resinous coniferous notes. About 15 minutes later a delicate sweet balsamic note arises out the oils perfectly balanced complexity. The balsamic sweet note continues to grow in power and becomes the foundation out of which the other notes display their radiant, tenacious characteristics. At times one perceives strong frankincense note, at others deep cypress notes, and yet at others those of pine needle absolutes. Many lovely resinous-coniferous notes reveal themselves in a constantly changing panaroma of delightful aromas
After 45 minutes the odor arrives at its high ethereal plateau and for many hours afterwards maintains its even depth, radiance and tenacity. It is in the 30-60 range that I like to allow visual pictures related to the aroma of the essence being study to arise. Prior to doing the olfactory analysis I like to study images of the plant from which the oil is made, as well as the environment in which it grows, along with its history in human affairs which may include symbolic, mythological, therapeutic, culinary uses, etc. Each essence and plant related to it has its own fascinating background and I find it helpful to connect a few of these details to the experience of the aroma itself so that it goes into the olfactory memory database in a creative and illuminating way.

Perfumery Uses

Blends well with: amyris wood eo; bois de rose/rosewood eo; cabreuva eo; carrot eo, co2 and abs; cassia bark eo and co2; champa, white flower eo and co2; champa, gold attar and abs; choya nakh; choya ral; choya loban; cinnamon bark eo and co2; clary sage eo and abs; clove bud eo, co2 and abs; coriander eo and co2; costus eo and abs; cypress eo and abs; fir, grand eo; fir, douglas eo frankincense eo, co2 and abs; galbanum eo, co2 and abs; geranium eo and abs; guaicwood eo; gurjun balsam eo; ho leaf eo; ho wood eo; mastic eo and abs; mimosa absolute,; musk, black attar; oakmoss abs; patchouli eo, co2 and abs; pepper, black eo, co2 and abs; peru balsam eo and abs; pine needle eo and abs; rose centifolia abs; rosa damascena abs and eo; rosa bourbonia abs; sandalwood eo, co2 and abs; tonka bean abs; vanilla co2 and abs; vetiver eo and co2; ylang complete eo and abs

In perfumery it is excellent in incense bouquets, geographical perfumes, oriental compositions, sacred essences, fougeres, chypres, lavender-colognes, citrus-colognes, forest blends, amber bases, etc




Useful Links

Very comprehensive article on Ladanum, its history, uses in perfumery, etc

Composition of the essential oil from the resin


Brief notes on the essential oil


Images of the plant


A good monograph on Cistus ladaniferus

Habitat, harvest, medicinal uses



Labdanum in Literature

It is a kind of rake, with a double row of long leathern straps. It is used in the heat of the day, when not a breadth of wind is stirring: circumstances necessary to gathering of labandum. Seven or eight country fellows, in their shirts and drawers, brush the plants with their whips, the straps where of, by rubbing against the leaves, lick of a sort odoriferous glue sticking to the foliage. This is part of the nutritous juice of the plant, which exhudes through the texture of the leave like a fatty dew, in shining drops, clear as turpentine. When the whips are sufficiently laden with this grease, they take a knife and scrape the straps clean, making it into a clean mass of cakes of different size, and this comes to us under the name Ladanum or Labdanum. A man who is diligent will gather three lbs. per day, or more, which sells for a crown on the spot. The work is rather unpleasnt than laborius, because it must be done in the sultry time of the day, and during the dead calm: and yet the purest Ladanum cannot be procured free from filth; because the winds of the previous day have blown dust on the shrubs."
Voyage to Crete-Joseph Pitton de Tournefort

Garlic, onion, vinegar, and particularly brandy, are considered by the Greeks, the Armenians, and Jews, as preservatives against the plague. Most of them keep in their hands some labdanum, and aromatic substance which heat softens and renders more odiferous, they turn it again and again every way between the fingers, and smellll to it from time to time, and especially when they are in fear of dangerous emanations. Some, in the same view, carry abouth them musk, ambergris, or camphire.
Travels in the Ottoman empire, Egypt, and Persia
By Guillaume Antoine
Olivier

In Greece, "for coloring the lashes and sockets of the eye they throw incense or gum labdanum on some coals of fire, intercept the smoke which ascends with a plate, and collect the soot. This I saw applied. A girl, sitting cross-legged as usual on a sofa, and closing one of her eyes, took the two lashes between the forefinger and thumb of her left hand, pulled them forward, and then, thrusting in at the external corner a sort of bodkin or probe which had been immersed in the soot, and withdrawing it, the particles previously adhering to the probe remained within the eyelashes."--CHANDLER'S _Travels in Greece._

"To make Pomanders, take two penny-worth of Labdanum, two penny-worth of Storax liquid, one penny-worth of calamus Aromaticus, as much Balm, half a quarter of a pound of fine wax, of Cloves and Mace two penny-worth and of Musk four grains: beat all these exceedingly together, till they come to a perfect substance , then mould it in any fashion you please, and dry it."
Gervase Markham, The English Housewife.

Pulvis Fumalis/Fumigation Powder
Take of olibanum, amber, Mastic, each three parts; storax, two parts; benzoin, labdanum, each one part. Mix them into a gross powder.
This powder is intended for the purpose of fumigation; and when burnt it gives out a fragrant odour: hence it may be successfully employed