Information about our Cistus Ladanifer products
About Cistus Ladanifer
Cistus Ladanifer is a flowering plant from the family of the Cistaceae. Also known as Rockrose, this sticky shrub grows up to 2,5 meters and can be found all over the Western Mediterranean region. It is very common in Portugal, especially in the south (Alentejo and Algarve) where patches of rockrose cover large areas of the countryside.
Harvesting Cistus Ladanifer
Like with many other plants, Cistus Ladanifer should be harvested in the morning. This ensures that the biochemical constituents of the leaves and small branches keep their properties. The ideal time is anywhere between when the dew from the previous night has evaporated and later on in the day when it becomes too hot to work, given that Cistus Ladanifer must be handpicked.
Cistus Ladanifer Herbs
Our Cistus Ladanifer herbs are made from the leaves of the Cistus Ladanifer plant, which are hand-harvested then dried, cut and filtered. In some countries, the eastern cousin of Cistus Ladanifer (Cistus Incanus) is already well-known and used as a herbal tea. In regards to our operations, we’re slowly rediscovering the potential of our plants with a goal to creating better Cistus Ladanifer products.
Cistus Ladanifer Oil
Cistus Ladanifer essential oil is one of the most interesting and valuable products that can be obtained from the Cistus Ladanifer plant. There are several methods to obtain this oil, with the most popular method in Portugal being steam distillation, whereby fresh plants and their twigs are used to create high-grade Cistus Ladanifer oil.
Cistus Ladanifer Hydrosol
Hydrosols are the by-product of the steam distillation process. They are also called floral waters or hydrolats and consist of distilled water and small amounts of essential oil. The way we collect Cistus Ladanifer hydrosols is therefore the same way we obtain Cistus Ladanifer oil products e.g. by distilling the leaves and twigs of Cistus Ladanifer via a steam distiller.