Cistus, also called rock-rose for the resemblance of its dainty, papery five petal flowers to wild rose blossoms, gives out an essential oil with a delicious aroma. Sweet and fresh, lemony with a hint of honey, tenacious enough but not overwhelming, it blends well with all the citrus oils, the flowers such as geranium, lavender and ylang ylang, the spices such as cardamon, ginger and frankincense. It provides a base note which anchors the citrus top notes that would otherwise evaporate too quickly.

The value of cistus essential oil has been neglected not only for its aroma but also for its therapeutic benefits

• invaluable to skin repair,
• useful for infections of the respiratory tract and
• rheumatoid arthritis