Spanish Labdanum

Spanish labdanum is a variety of labdanum resin harvested from the cistus ladanifer rockrose shrub that grows wild across the Iberian Peninsula. Spain is one of the primary sources of labdanum in the world.

The resin has a warm, ambery, and leathery character with a distinctive dry, slightly smoky quality that differentiates it from French labdanum. Spanish labdanum tends to be darker, more leathery, and more robust.

In perfumery, Spanish labdanum provides a powerful amber-like base with excellent fixative properties. It adds warmth, depth, and a subtle animalic quality to compositions.

The ingredient is essential in amber, oriental, and chypre families. Spanish labdanum pairs well with vanilla, spices, florals, and woods.

It has a sun-baked, Mediterranean character that evokes the dry hills of Spain.