Oakmoss cut

Oakmoss cut is a cut fragrant lichen. This lichen can be used in fragrance products or possibly processed into a raw material for cosmetics.

Use

We recommend that you read the information on this page carefully before purchasing, but certainly before using it for the first time, especially the section under 'Dangers'.

Cut oakmoss has a warm, spicy sweet scent, but there are also aspects of wood, resin and sea air. It can be used unchanged in potpourri, sachets and the like. Making it smaller with a knife or scissors can help with processing.

You can make a tincture with pure alcohol 96%, but also with cosmetic hair water. A good starting point is 40 grams of lichen in 100 ml of alcohol. Keep it in the dark in a tightly closed bottle or jar. Shake regularly. Leave for at least a month, longer is usually better.

The tincture can be used in cosmetics such as perfume or aftershave. Please read the other information on this page before you decide to do so! This is even more important for commercial use. In that case, remember that homemade tincture is an unusual fragrance material about which little is known. Always consult with your cosmetic chemist.

Properties

Oakmoss is a lichen that grows wild in oak trees, especially in the Balkans. The color is dark brown, it looks a bit like a very open sponge: all branches. Oakmoss is mainly collected by shepherds and then becomes available through old networks of brokering. It is mainly used to make oakmoss absolute, an extract that we also sell.

The botanical name is Evernia prunastri L. . As with all herbs and extracts of herbs where they are picked and collected in the wild, the botanical name should mainly be seen as an indication, there are undoubtedly other similar species among them. In addition, there is up to 15% other material in the bags such as twigs, leaves, acorns, some caked earth, et cetera. This is normal, as is the fact that there may be some mold on it. As with any natural product, there may be a difference between the different batches, sometimes it is a nice intact and relatively clean moss with a great smell, other times it is more discolored, more moldy and the smell can only be perceived after processing .

Packaging

Oakmoss cut is packed by us in sealed plastic bags.

Dangers

Unprocessed plant material such as oakmoss is not subject to the REACH/CLP legislation. However, an extract, like a tincture, is!

The fact that there is an exemption does not mean that you can assume that it is a harmless product. Certainly not in this case. Oakmoss extracts have to meet increasingly strict requirements. The manufacturers of these extracts therefore process them to keep the content of the highly allergenic substances atranol and chloratranol as low as possible. Homemade extracts such as a tincture contain these substances. Touching oakmoss with bare skin alone can lead to a contact allergy.

Our advice is therefore not to use this substance in perfume, other cosmetics or any product with which skin contact is not completely excluded. When handling the moss: wear gloves that offer at least some protection, such as nitrile gloves. Wash hands thoroughly after each use.

Codes

Item number: 26110
Dutch name: Eikenmos gesneden