Some raw materials stay with you for decades. Cistus is one of mine.
More than twenty years ago, when I was starting out, two things happened almost at the same time. I got my hands on a cistus from one of my suppliers, Essencia. They offered an oil and a special extract they called “oil and extract”. Around that same time, I read Edmond Roudnitska’s Le Parfum.
In that book, Roudnitska writes about what a perfume can be. Not just pleasant or well made, but something that can hit you, a kind of shock to the senses. If we are honest, every really good perfume has a little of that.
I realised something then. The same is true for raw materials.
Smelling cistus for the first time was exactly that for me, a shock, and a beautiful one. Leather, amber, bright wood, richness, all at once. It did not smell like an “ingredient”. It smelled like a whole world that wanted to become a perfume.
Since then, cistus has stayed one of my favourite raw materials to work with. It is on the expensive side, but worth every drop. In woody, oriental, amber perfumes it can do something that is hard to imitate. It adds depth and texture, and it leaves a warm, leathery darkness in the base.
For L’Air du désert marocain noir, I decided to lean into that effect. I increased the concentration of this cistus extract to 5% in the perfume oil. And it does the trick. It adds a richer, more leathery darkness. You can feel it when you spray NOIR. After a few minutes of a citrus sparkle, you do not stay in the light, you dive into a deep, dark, almost mystical space.
A practical note from the Tauer Perfumes manufactory. We ran out of L’Air du désert marocain noir for a bit. We are back on track now, and we have stock again.
Continue reading for more about cistus, its extraction and character:
Cistus ladanifer (Labdanum) – a technical and sensory reflection Botanical background
Cistus ladanifer (gum rockrose) is an evergreen shrub from the western Mediterranean, especially Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. It thrives in dry, sun‑exposed landscapes with poor soil. In warm weather its narrow leaves exude a sticky resin with a distinct “hot stone and wind” character. That resin is the source of labdanum, one of perfumery’s most expressive materials.
Raw material & extraction Labdanum is typically obtained by solvent extraction of leaves and twigs, producing a resinoid and, after refinement, an absolute. Steam distillation yields a lighter oil. Each form highlights a different side of the plant, from bright amber warmth to deeper balsamic density.
Olfactive character A refined labdanum can show: • a smooth amber warmth • a faint smoky thread through the sweetness • a soft leather nuance • a lingering balsamic depth It reads less as “sweet” and more as warmth and texture, close to the skin.
Material structure & role in perfumery Rich in labdane‑type diterpenes, labdanum has real structural strength. It supports amber accords, reinforces incense structures, and adds weight to woody compositions. Compared with benzoin’s sweetness and myrrh’s cooler austerity, cistus brings a sun‑darkened resinous warmth with a distinct texture.
On fractionation & creative use Using both labdanum oil and labdanum extract gives useful control. The oil tends to feel clearer and more radiant; the extract is denser and more tactile, closer to warm leather and resin on skin. Blending the two lets you adjust transparency versus depth with small changes in balance. Cistus isn’t just a base note. It carries a specific sense of Mediterranean heat. Used with restraint, it adds gravity without heaviness, and mystery without turning dark.
