Natural olibanum incense (frankincense) - purification resin

Olibanum resin from trees of the genus Boswellia, harvested in East Africa and shaped by hand using traditional methods. Available in packs of 5 or 10.

It is neither a wood nor a flower: it is a sap. The bark of the Boswellia, a small tree of the arid zones of the Horn of Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula, is cut, and the milky exudate that beads up hardens in the air into translucent tears. They are left to dry for several weeks before harvest, and the same tree is tapped only a limited number of times a year.

This is the resin that ancient texts refer to simply as incense, without further detail: the incense of the Egyptian temples, of the Temple in Jerusalem, and one of the three gifts of the Magi. The French word "encens" comes from the Latin incensum, "that which is burned".

On a glowing charcoal in a censer, or on a mesh incense burner heated from below, which gives a gentler diffusion and avoids a burnt smell. A few tears are enough. Allow about 50 minutes of diffusion.

Olibanum has been used for millennia in purification rituals, which is what earned it its place in almost every liturgy of the Mediterranean basin. We mention this use because it is part of the history of this material. We attribute no health effect to it: this is not a therapeutic product.

Burn on a heat-resistant surface, in a ventilated room, and never leave incense unattended. All combustion produces fine particles: air the room after use. Keep out of reach of children and animals.

Also worth exploring: the chamomile, calendula and olibanum incense, and our full range of incense and resins.