THE MELLOW FRANKINCENSE OF SACRED SOLACE
In the realm of sacred scents, transcendent Tigray Frankincense has a warm-ambery sweetness that sings to the calm choir inside. Frankincense is an ancient aromatic that has heralded eras with its incense of connection and communion while revered for restoring the skin and anointing the airways and chest.
Where cliff-dwelling Boswellia varieties cling to rocky terrain, Boswellia papyrifera thrives in wooded grasslands and is renowned for its distinctive papyrus-like bark that naturally peels in delicate, paper-thin sheets. These trees bloom with sweet pink flowers and produce a luminous yellow oleoresin. As an ancient signature scent of holy sacrament, it emits a resinous arch of ambery, balsamic-depth with subtle citrus-vespers, making it one of the finest Frankincenses for crafting colognes and perspicacious perfumes. Its warm, summer-hay balsamic base and almost-orangey edge create the friendliest fragrance, emanating a deliciously mellow “frankincense and chill” vibe.
Distilled from golden resin pearls in the dry, mountain region of Ethiopia, this warm, deep, rosy, and citrusy essential oil comes from cultivated trees that can live for hundreds of years. Facing environmental pressures, our distiller crafts with sustainable conservation practices to preserve this ancient species for generations to come. This mindful stewardship also gives local pollinators a real buzz, as Tigray’s long blooming season offers honeybees months and months of pollen and nectar.
"Until the daybreak, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense." — Song of Solomon
DISTILLATION DETAILS + APPLICATIONS
INHALATIONS + APPLICATIONS
Superb for daily skincare, this tonifying oil can be applied neat or blended into your favorite serums and massage oils to target fine lines, scars, and signs of imbalance. Combine with Immortelle and Rose Otto for a splendidly scar-defying facial elixir. Beyond skin care, Tigray is a lovely Frankincense for natural perfumery and colognes. It is a serene anchor for mindful meditation. It excels for all aspects of deep breathing, shining in salt pipes and room diffusers, or enjoyed as a palm inhalation for a swift mental reset. To support winter breathing, diffuse Tigray alongside Pine and Peppermint to invigorate the atmosphere with a warm, clean aroma. A classical bathing beauty, it also serves as a breath-freshening botanical-biotic for oral care rituals, or a single drop to delight a drink.
Botanical Name: Boswellia papyrifera
Botanical Family: Burseraceae
Method of Extraction: Supercritical CO2
Plant Part: Resin
Country of Origin: Ethiopia
Cultivation Method: Organic
Composition: 100% Boswellia papyrifera
Consistency: Thin, light yellow colored essence
Scent Description: Classic Frankincense astringency embraced by a soft citrus-amber embrace. Deep, sweet, and incense-like.
Blends well with: All other Frankincense, Grapefruit, Rose Otto, Fragonia, Neroli, Rockrose, Cistus, Hyssop, Clove, Marjoram, Bergamot, Firs, Blue Tansy, Myrrh, Spruce, Seabuckthorn, Immortelle, Opopanax, Ylang, Sandalwood, Palo Santo, and Chamomile.
CONSTITUENTS + THE CO2 EXTRACTION ADVANTAGE
Supercritical CO2 fluid extraction elevates this batch of Tigray Frankincense into a juicy, full-spectrum botanical masterpiece. While traditional steam distillation captures only the volatile top notes, this gentle CO2 process preserves the denser, biologically active lipophilic diterpenes and triterpenes alongside those light, ethereal aromatics. Independent third-party GC-MS analysis by Laboratoire PhytoChemia verifies this rich composition, confirming the presence of rare, complex compounds like norursadiene, norursatrienes, and noroleanadiene that distinguish this extract. By retaining the resinous fraction of the resin, this gentle process captures the lipophilic triterpenes and boswellic acid compounds that steam distillation leaves behind, delivering the deep, skin-reinforcing and tissue-toning power that Frankincense is world-famed for.
While Frankincense is typically characterized by classic, pine-scented monoterpenes like alpha-pinene, Tigray takes a uniquely mellow botanical path. Naturally minimal in monoterpenes (under 9%), its constituent cocktail offers a smooth citrus-amber sweetness powered by an opulent dose of octyl acetate (58.5%), an aliphatic ester that imparts a bright, sunlit aroma. Accompanying this signature ester is octanol (5.2%), alpha-pinene (3.3%), limonene (1.8%), and a touch of soothing linalool (1.6%). Most notably, this batch contains Tigray's signature diterpenic cembrenoids: incensole (1.4%) and incensyl acetate (1.6%). Celebrated in neuroscientific research for their ability to soothe the senses, encourage emotional equilibrium, and quiet mind chatter, these profound diterpenes work in tandem with skin-loving triterpenoids to offer restoration and scar-soothing support.
View or download the Certificate of Analysis.
This essential oil is verified, genuine distillation, third-party tested to ensure 100% purity.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What makes Supercritical CO2 extraction different from steam distillation for Tigray Frankincense?
Traditional steam distillation captures all the volatile compounds of the resin, yet it leaves behind many of the resin’s heavier molecular compounds. Supercritical CO2 extraction uses low temperatures and carbon dioxide to gently pull out the full botanical spectrum. This process preserves the light, ethereal aromatics while retaining the denser lipophilic diterpenes, triterpenes, and boswellic acid compounds that give Frankincense its world-renowned skin-toning, scar-soothing, and tissue-reinforcing power.
How does Tigray (Boswellia papyrifera) differ from other Frankincense species like Carterii or Sacra?
While varieties like Boswellia carterii and Boswellia sacra grow perched on cliffsides and produce resin classically characterized by pine-scented monoterpenes (like alpha-pinene), Tigray (Boswellia papyrifera) thrives in wooded grasslands and naturally develops a distinctive, paper-thin peeling bark. This protective papery bark reflects a unique evolutionary path: where cliff-dwelling species synthesize volatile monoterpenes to withstand rocky exposures, Papyrifera channels its lifeforce into producing smooth aliphatic esters and heavy diterpenes. Chemically, Tigray takes a uniquely mellow path: it is naturally minimal in iconic monoterpenes (under 9%) and sated with a 58.5% dose of octyl acetate, which imparts its signature subtle-citrus, summer-hay, ambery aroma. Tigray also contains rare diterpenic cembrenoids, incensole (1.4%) and incensyl acetate (1.6%), celebrated in neuroscience for their ability to quiet mind chatter while soothing skin and spirit.
Why is Tigray Frankincense rare, and how is it sustainably harvested?
Boswellia papyrifera trees are native to the dry mountain regions of Ethiopia and face natural environmental pressures from land development and livestock grazing. To prevent over-harvesting from stressing wild groves, our distiller works exclusively with cultivated trees using sustainable conservation practices that protect these heritage trees for future generations. As an added ecological blessing, these trees bloom with sweet pink blossoms over an extended season, providing vital nectar and pollen to local African honeybee populations for months at a time.
