Pistacia lentiscus is a very useful plant. Every part of it is used for both cosmetic and therapeutic purposes. A cut in the bark produces a resin, which takes its name from the island of Chios in Greece, where it originated and still produced and used today. The leaves, macerated in sweet almond oil, make a wonderful moisturiser for hair and skin. If pressed, the drupes make an essential oil rich in antibacterial properties with a fresh balsamic smell. In Sardegna it is still used as a condiment, in fact it used to be a substitute for olive oil.

After pressing the drupes can be dried and stored in small sachets as pot pourri, an idea for a homemade Christmas present perhaps.