Cistus Oil

#### Cistus Oil, so-called. **Cistus Oil **(so-called) is the essential oil which is steam distilled from the crude "gum" labdanum, collected almost exclusively in Spain. More recently, the oil has been obtained by a two-step extraction with benzene/ethyl alcohol or with ethyl ether/ethyl alcohol. The product is then, according to the definitions in Part One of this book, an **Absolute from Resinoid of**** ****Labdanum**** **(spanish). Distillation of the crude "gum" labdanum takes place in Spain and France. For details of the plant from which the crude labdanum is boiled off, see monograph on **Labdanum.** **Cistus Oil **(so-called) is an amber-colored or dark yellow, viscous liquid having a very powerful and tenacious odor: warm and sweet, yet dry and reminiscent of ambra in its somewhat animal notes. The oil is used in modern aldehydic or ambre types of perfumes, in Oriental bases, and in numerous "fantasy" bouquets where it will lend tenacity, warm tonalities and an intriguingly spicy-animal note. It has the advantage of yielding the main odor effects of the labdanum resinoid, concrète, or absolute, but it does not have the intense color of these products. Its greater solubility makes it interesting for colognes where it blends extremely well with citrus oils, sage clary and oakmoss products. Cistus oil also blends well with cinnamic alcohol, juniperberry oil, ionones and methylionones, heliotropin, lavandin oil, pine needle oils, opopanax, etc. Artificial musks are frequently rounded off with **Cistus Oil **if the formula permits the comparatively high cost of this oil. Little is known about the chemical composition of the so-called cistus oil, and adulterations are most often of the "artistic" kind rather than the "scientific". **Cistus**** ****Oil**** **is used quite frequently in trace amounts as a "bouquet" material in certain essential oils (sage clary and others). The annual production of so-called **Cistus**** ****Oil**** **is steadily increasing, but has probably not yet exceeded 300 kilos. The residue of exhausted labdanum "gum" from the distillation of this type of cistus oil unfortunately presents good possibilities for adulteration of labdanum "resinoids" or even for the crude labdanum "gum". Steam distillation of the entire plant is carried out in Spain. The plant is known under the name of **Cistus **("ciste") in France, and the essential oil from the entire plant is described in the following monograph.