In this article we will discuss about live resin vs distillate. Terpene’s popularity has seen a significant increase over the past few years. In 2020, its market value reached $536.45 million, potentially jumping to $1.1 billion by 2028.
With the demand for terpenes and related products increasing, manufacturers are continuously expanding their offerings to cater to the growing demand. For beginners, this presents a dilemma as there are a variety of terpene products to choose from. One particular area of frustration is determining the difference between live resin and distillate.
In this article, we will clarify how live resin differs from distillate.
Live Resin vs. Distillate: How Do They Differ?
1. Appearance
You can tell live resin and distillate apart by their differing colors and consistency. The former has a crystal-like honey color with a thick and sauce-like consistency. Meanwhile, the latter has a translucent appearance with a sultry and viscous consistency.
2. Plant material
Live resin is directly extracted from fresh flowers, which are flash-frozen immediately after harvest. A frigid temperature is maintained throughout the extraction process. Meanwhile, distillate comes from dried flowers.
3. Production
There’s a stark contrast between the extraction processes involved in producing live resin and distillate. Generally, live resin utilizes flash-freezing while distillate uses heat distillation.
Terpene producers flash-freeze fresh flowers by cooling them in dry ice or submerging the plant material in liquid nitrogen. This process preserves the plant’s active compounds. The liquid resin is afterward extracted from the flowers using high-grade laboratory equipment.
As for distillate, the extraction process involves drying and curing the plant material after harvest. The production begins with keeping the dried buds at room temperature. Once the optimum temperature is reached, the plant material is refined using a solvent like ethanol, carbon dioxide, or butane.
Next, the dried flowers undergo a process known as “winterization” to remove fats and waxes. What’s left is the chemical compound responsible for the distillate’s effects. The excess substances will later be re-added to the isolated extract.
4. Extraction goal
Keeping the flower fresh and preserving its terpene content is the main goal of live resin’s extraction process. This helps producers achieve the ideal result in terms of the final product’s potency and overall quality.
Meanwhile, distillate’s extraction goal is to produce the highest amount possible of the pure plant substance that gives the product its powerful effect.
5. Flavor profile
The flash-freezing process allows live resin to retain most of the original plant’s compounds, rendering a natural profile similar to the fresh flower. For distillate, unfortunately, it loses most of its flavor in the production process. However, you can always add terpenes to the distillate to enhance its flavor and aroma and increase its therapeutic potential.
6. Terpene content
Another significant difference between distillate vs. live resin is their terpene content. Live resin maintains a substantial amount of terpenes from the fresh flower, thanks to its extraction process. With live resin keeping most, if not all, of its terpenes intact, it has a more aromatic and flavorful taste and provides a full-spectrum effect.
Meanwhile, the use of heat during production renders distillate less flavorful than live resin. However, mixing terpenes with distillate can amp up its effects and enhance its potency.
7. Effects
The active compounds in live resin create a strong, intense experience, which is ideal for long-time users. Live resin also facilitates the entourage effect when mixed with other psychoactive compounds, delivering a more powerful therapeutic effect.
Meanwhile, distillate has a euphoric effect, which lasts from one to four hours. Increased appetite and thirst may also come with distillate consumption.
8. Consumption
There are various ways to consume live resin, the most popular being dabbing. This method involves heating the live resin using a dabbing rig and then inhaling the vapor produced. Live resin can also be used by mixing an amount with a joint or sprinkling some on top of a bowl or blunt.
Meanwhile, you can consume distillate by vaporizing it, ingesting it sublingually, or topping it off a joint or bowl. Most terpene experts also recommend mixing it with food. Moreover, it can also be used to make an edible, allowing you to customize your desired profile.
Live Resin vs. Distillate: Which is Better?
As to the question of which one is better, it ultimately comes down to preference. Those looking for an original plant, full-spectrum profile may choose live resin. On the other hand, consumers seeking a euphoric experience are likely to go for distillate.
If you’re searching for a trusted terpene manufacturer, look no further. Medical Terpenes offers a wide range of strain-specific terpene profiles.
