RUŌOD Lab

Labdanum Absolute

Absolute · Amber / Leather

amber, balsamic, leathery, animalic, warm — base note.

Aroma illustration for Labdanum Absolute: glowing amber resin, stitched leather swatches and an abstract swirl of warm fur-like strokes, for its amber, leathery and animalic notes. It illustrates smell associations, not the material or its source.Illustration of dark, sticky labdanum gum beneath rockrose leaves and a white cistus flower.
Aroma View: an illustration of what Labdanum Absolute smells like (amber, leathery, animalic), drawn by RUŌOD Lab — not its appearance or its source.An original illustration of the botanical source by RUŌOD Lab — not a photograph of the material.
Images

By the RUŌOD Lab TeamRevision 1Updated

In short

Labdanum absolute is extracted from the gum of the rockrose, Cistus ladanifer, mainly in Spain. It is the heart of the classic amber accord.

What Labdanum Absolute smells like

Labdanum, from rock rose (Cistus ladanifer), is variously described as amber, sweet, woody, powdery, fruity, animalic, ambergris-like, dry musk or leathery. The absolute, made by ethanol extraction of the resinoid, has more powerful leathery and amber notes than the resinoid; a supplier lists sweet, caramel and dried-fruit nuances. Another notes a constituent similar in odour to one in ambergris, and it is valued as a botanical complement to animalic materials such as castoreum.

Leading note
Amber-leather
Clear facets
Animalic
Supporting facets
Sweet, caramel, dried fruit, ambergris, dry musk
Character
Rich, warm, dark, tenacious
  • amber
  • balsamic
  • leathery
  • animalic
  • warm

What makes Labdanum Absolute distinctive

The heart of the classic amber: a plant resin with leather, animal and ambergris notes that no other resin delivers.

How Labdanum Absolute is used

Used as a base in amber, chypre, leather and oriental compositions, and as a complement to animalic materials.

Typical role: backbone (used in large proportions as a structural material of an accord); fixative (slow to evaporate; helps a blend last and holds lighter notes).

How Labdanum Absolute differs from similar materials

Styrax Resinoid
Styrax is a smokier, cinnamic leather with a lilac side; labdanum is ambery and animalic, with dried fruit.
Opoponax Oil
Opoponax is a softer, sweeter, powdery balsam; labdanum is darker, leathery and animalic.
Labdanum Resinoid
Givaudan describes the resinoid as smokier and more tobacco-like than the absolute.
Cistus Absolute
Cistus absolute, from the leaves and twigs rather than the gum, is brighter and more herbaceous.

An asterisk marks a difference that a cited source states directly. The others compare the published descriptions of each material. Smell varies with grade, supplier and dilution; compare them side by side on blotters before substituting one for another.

Formulation considerations

Very viscous and dark; dilute before weighing.

Identity and classification

Type
Absolute
Origin
Natural
Odour family
Amber / Leather
Note position
Base note
Physical form at room temperature
Viscous liquid
Also known as
Cistus labdanum absolute
Botanical source
Cistus ladanifer L.
CAS number
8016-26-0

The CAS number was checked on 19 October 2026 against a PubChem substance record that gives it for this material. A natural material is a mixture, so it has no single formula; its composition varies with origin and processing.

Safety and compliance

This page is general information, not a safety assessment or a specification. Confirm identity, composition, IFRA status and allergen content from your supplier's documents for the lot you hold.

Materials it works with

  • Vanilla Absolute

    Absolute · Gourmand / Amber — vanilla, sweet, woody, smoky

  • Benzoin Resinoid (Siam)

    Resinoid · Amber / Gourmand — vanillic, balsamic, sweet, warm

  • Patchouli Oil

    Essential oil · Woody / Chypre — earthy, woody, camphoraceous, dark

  • Ambroxan

    Aroma chemical · Amber / Woody — amber, ambergris, woody, mineral

  • Clary Sage Absolute

    Absolute · Amber / Aromatic — ambery, tobacco, herbaceous, sweet

Labdanum Absolute is also suggested as a partner on the pages for Ambergris Tincture, Ambranum, Ambrinol, Beeswax Absolute, Black Agar Givco 215/2 and Castoreum Absolute.

Used in formulas and accords

Used in 32 published formulas

Labdanum Absolute is an ingredient in 31 perfume formulas and 1 accord in the Formula & Accord Library.

Community formulas

  • Black Musk

    Community Formula · listed as “LABDANUM ABS 50% DEP”, at 50% in DEP

RUŌOD House Originals

Original compositions by RUŌOD House.

Further reading

Questions about Labdanum Absolute

Is Labdanum Absolute natural or synthetic?

Labdanum Absolute is natural. It is a concentrated extract obtained from plant material with a solvent, then washed with ethanol to remove the waxes.

What is the CAS number of Labdanum Absolute?

8016-26-0, the registry number for the absolute as a substance rather than a single molecule. It was checked against PubChem on 19 October 2026.

Which published formulas use Labdanum Absolute?

Labdanum Absolute is used in 32 published formulas in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library, including Apple Cellar, Beeswax Throne and Black Musk. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.

Sources

Your own records, next to the reference

Keep your own record of Labdanum Absolute — supplier, cost, stock, dilutions and where it is used — in RUŌOD Lab's material library.

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