Leaf Finder
Live rosin vs. live resin vs. distillate: reading a concentrate label
Live rosin is pressed from fresh-frozen plants with heat and pressure, no solvents. Live resin is extracted from fresh-frozen plants with a solvent, then purged. Both keep a lot of the plant's own terpenes. Distillate is refined to mostly THC, so its own terpenes are gone, and any you taste were usually added back.
The main types
| Type | How it's made | Terpenes |
|---|---|---|
| Live rosin | Fresh-frozen plant (often made into ice-water hash first), pressed with heat. No solvents. | The plant's own, often rich |
| Rosin | Dried and cured flower or hash, pressed with heat. No solvents. | The plant's own |
| Live resin | Fresh-frozen plant, extracted with a solvent such as butane, then purged. | The plant's own, often rich |
| Cured resin | Dried and cured plant, extracted with a solvent. | The plant's own, fewer than live |
| Distillate | Refined to mostly THC (often 85–95%). | Removed. Often added back from cannabis or other plants |
Badder, shatter, sauce: texture, not strength
Words like badder (or budder), shatter, wax, crumble, sauce and diamonds describe texture, which comes from how the extract was handled after extraction. Diamonds are crystals of THCa; sauce is the terpene-rich liquid around them. Texture tells you less about the experience than how it was made and its terpene list.
Reading the terpenes
Concentrate labels often list terpenes more clearly than flower, and in larger amounts, which makes them easy to match. Look for your terpene target first in the list. On a distillate, a terpene list may describe what was added back, not the original plant. See the terpene guide.
Start low: it's the strongest form
Concentrates are often 60–90% THC, compared with 15–30% in flower, so a small dab is a big dose. A common starting point is a dab smaller than a grain of rice. Lower temperatures (around 450–550°F) keep more of the terpenes and feel gentler. Wait about 15 minutes before deciding on another. If you're new to cannabis or prefer lower THC, flower, a vape or a 1:1 tincture is an easier place to start.
Find your match in 30 seconds →Common questions
What's the difference between live rosin and live resin?
Both start from fresh-frozen plants. Live rosin is pressed with heat and pressure, with no solvents. Live resin is extracted with a solvent, then purged. Both keep much of the plant's own terpenes.
Does distillate have terpenes?
Distillate is refined to mostly THC, which removes the plant's own terpenes. Many distillate products add terpenes back, either from cannabis or from other plants.
How much is a starting dab?
A common starting point is a dab smaller than a grain of rice, at a lower temperature. Concentrates are often 60–90% THC, so wait about 15 minutes before taking another.
What do badder, shatter and sauce mean?
They describe texture, which comes from how the extract was handled. How it was made (rosin, resin or distillate) and its terpene list tell you more about the experience.
For adults 21 and older where cannabis is legal. This is general information, not medical advice. Everyone responds differently: start low, go slow, and talk with a clinician about health conditions or medications. Terpene amounts vary by grower and batch, so check each product's label or lab report.