Cade tar manufacturing

Cade juniper: a unique raw material

True cade oil comes exclusively from the wood of Juniperus oxycedrus. The quality of the tar depends directly on the wood: its maturity, density and resin content influence the final product's chemical composition. Cade Oil sources from the Moroccan Atlas forests, where juniper grows in rigorous conditions that concentrate active compounds.

Pyrolysis: dry distillation at high temperature

The juniper wood is loaded into sealed retorts. Heat is applied gradually from outside. In the absence of oxygen the wood does not burn but decomposes chemically:

• 200–300°C: water removal, CO₂ and CO release.
• 300–450°C: thermal cracking of wood constituents; tar formation.
• Above 450°C: carbonisation of the solid residue into charcoal.

The tars condense in a cooled coil and are collected in a tank: this is true cade oil.

Yield and quality control

Yield is around 10–20% of dry wood weight. Each Cade Oil batch is tested for density, phenol content and absence of solvents. CAS number 8013-10-3 identifies the product in international trade.

INCI name	Juniperus Oxycedrus Tar
CAS number	8013-10-3
Appearance	Thick dark brown liquid
Process	Pyrolysis (dry distillation)
Origin	Moroccan Atlas