Extraction process :
Cistus labdanum is harvested in summer, when the plant is covered with a very fragrant resinous gum. This gum is hand collected by local producers.
After flowering, from april to june, a new growth of branches appears. From july to october, from the sunset to midday, branches are cut and brought to the extraction plant in a cart.
To obtain the resinoid, the gum is treated in a soda solution for extraction with a 3 to 5% yield. After filtration, an acid treatment is carried out. A pasty product is recovered by skimming and distilled to dry it. The paste is finally treated with alcohol, then filtered to remove insoluble compounds. A ''labdanum alcohol resinoid '' is then obtained.
Several reprocessing are possible on the cistus absolute, to remove insoluble compounds or colour. Such rectification has no olfactory impact.
Chemotypes :
The genus Cistus includes about 20 different species, the majority of which exudes fragrant gum.
Among these, the most used are:
Cistus ladaniferus var. albiflorus, var. maculatos, var. stenoiphyllus, which produce the resin used in perfumes.
Cistus creticus, with rose to purple petals, surronding a tuft of stamens.
Cistus salvifolius, with white petals.
Cistus parviflorus, with pale rose petals.
Aromatherapy :
Informations provided below are taken from reference works in aromatherapy. They are given for information purposes only and can not constitute medical information, nor engage the responsibility of ScenTree.
Cistus possesses antiviral, antiarteritic and regulating neurovegetative virtues. It is recommended for whooping cough, multiple sclerosis, arteritis, haemorrhage and neurovegetative dystonia.
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