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Ingredient Spotlight: Frankincense

Posted on July 02 2018

Our beard goods are crafted from all-natural ingredients, with scent compositions inspired by the seasons and built upon the tenets of natural perfumery. In this series, we shine the spotlight on the ingredients that make Dragonsea beard oils, balms and waxes so intoxicating.

Botanical Name: Boswellia carteri

Origin: Somalia

Process: Steam Distilled Essential Oil

Plant Part: Resin

Note: Base, Fixative

Aroma: Dry, diffusive, and bright citrus top notes over a penetrating, resinous/coniferous, slightly peppery and balsamic undertone.

There once was a road, a well travelled road, that ran along the Arabian Peninsula from the Arabian Sea to the Mediterranean. The “Incense Route” saw spices, precious stones, rare woods, feathers, animal skins, gold, and prized aromatics like Frankincense along its way for half a millennia.

While we cannot claim its benefits in embalming and communing with the gods, the pharaohs certainly did, and who are we to argue. They were not alone, either. Frankincense has been used for time immemorial for religious and shamanistic cultures, not to mention skincare.

Seeing the raw material, granules of golden to amber resin, one would not immediately think it had come from a tree. When the tree is cut, it weeps a milky resin that hardens (its Arabic name, Olibanum, is derived from 'al Luban', which means milk), healing the tree. This resin is what Frankincense is made of.

Frankincense historically was grown in the Sultanate of Oman, but in today’s landscape, excellent specimens are also found in India and Somalia, where ours is from. A note from our supplier on their supplier of this beautiful addition to Dragonsea:

Our supplier trains the local Somalian people in collecting the resin from Frankincense trees. The harvesters are paid in advance, supplied with equipment and resources, medical support as needed, and in times of drought their basic needs are provided. In addition, the company helps to resolve diverse issues within the community; for example, providing support for the excavation of water wells, building a school for orphans and the needy, and for building a hospital – all with the view to help provide a secure and decent life for the harvesters, their children and their families – a worthy endeavor we are proud to support.

Explore the World of Dragonsea Collection and experience dragonfire come to life.

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