Collection: Frankincense Resin

Frankincense resin starts as a sticky milky gum-like resin that exudes from incisions deliberately made in the trunk and thicker branches of several tree species of the genus Boswellia. This process is sometimes referred to as ‘tapping’.

When exposed to the air, the frankincense resin begins to harden. When ready, it is harvested from individual trees and undergoes post-harvest handling such as drying to avoid clumping, cleaning, sorting, grading and packing for transportation.

Frankincense resin is sourced from a variety of tree species of the genus Boswellia belonging to the Burseraceae family which are native to the Arabian Peninsula, Horn of Africa and India. Popular species of frankincense for sale at Frankincense Pure include Boswellia Sacra from Oman and Boswellia Carterii from Somalia.

Although the word frankincense is used in Australia and other Western parts of the world, it is also commonly referred to as ‘olibanum’ throughout other parts of the world.

Since antiquity, frankincense and myrrh resin have been valued for their many different purposes and traded as valuable commodities. There was a time when frankincense was even considered more valuable than gold!

Frankincense resin has been used for thousands of years, traditionally for religious, cultural, medicinal, spiritual and perfumery purposes.

In 2008, an international team of scientists and researchers alleged that burning Frankincense resin (Boswellia) hits the olfactory centre in the head, which calms you down and may allay some of the effects of anxiety (CLICK HERE to read the source article).

Traces of frankincense were found in the tomb of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh, King Tutankhamun. It was discovered in a jar that contained a perfumed ointment of frankincense, coconut oil and spikenard. It’s also been discovered that affluent people in ancient times carried small pouches of myrrh around their neck for a fragrant scent.

Want to discover frankincense benefits and how they may apply to you? Browse the frankincense for sale at Frankincense Pure.

To enjoy the heavenly and relaxing scent of frankincense, you can burn frankincense resin in the comfort of your own home, anytime you feel like it.

Frankincense resin is typically burnt using a charcoal tablet (also known as a disc or puck) and a charcoal incense burner. This process releases the natural oil contained within the resin. It’s quite common to mix both frankincense and myrrh together, their aroma is very complimentary, creating yet another unique aroma to tantalise your senses. We often recommend 2-3 parts frankincense to 1 part myrrh but we encourage you to experiment and create your own favourite blend.

For a brief demonstration of how to burn resin on charcoal, CLICK HERE to watch our short video.

For a brief demonstration of how to burn resin in a tealight incense burner, CLICK HERE to watch our short video.

Or, if you’re looking for an alternative method that doesn’t require charcoal, you can also try heating frankincense resin in a tealight incense holder for a subtle and gentle burn. Choose from ceramic incense burners or brass burners made especially for tealight candles.

At Frankincense Pure we always put safety first. To safely burn incense in Australia, either on charcoal or in a tealight incense burner, ensure it’s out of reach of children and pets and that the area is well ventilated. Never leave your burner unattended and always ensure your burner is on a heat proof surface, away from all flammable items.

Step-by-step how to burn frankincense resin on charcoal

TO START, hold the charcoal safely with a pair of tongs (never handle the charcoal directly). Light the charcoal with a lighter or match (we prefer using easy light charcoals and a click flame lighter with a long reach). Hold the flame to the edge of the charcoal until it ignites. Don’t worry if it doesn’t work on your first attempt, keep repeating until you see orange sparkles travelling through the charcoal (there shouldn’t be an actual flame, only sparkles). A COMMON MISTAKE is when people assume the charcoal has ignited – when it hasn’t. Or it may be only partially lit and they wonder why the charcoal doesn’t retain its heat for long. In most cases, this is because the charcoal has not been fully ignited.

If you want to speed up this initial ignition process, continue to apply the flame from your lighter or match to the entire circumference of the charcoal until you’re happy it’s been fully ignited with orange sparkles travelling through the charcoal. This can take from 30 to 60 seconds. ONCE FULLY IGNITED, place your charcoal in your incense burner.

THEN - WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU WAIT ABOUT 5 TO 10 MINUTES until the charcoal eventually turns grey. This provides the charcoal sufficient sitting time to reach the desired temperature to enable an even and longer burn time.

NOW – PLACE YOUR FRANKINCENSE RESIN on the charcoal and enjoy the heavenly aroma!

The charcoal will generally stay warm, continuing to release the aroma of frankincense anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour, depending on your lighting technique, rate of air circulation, room temperature, type of incense burner and brand of charcoal. During the single use of your charcoal, you may need to replace your used resins with new ones. The burn time per resin is dependent upon a number of variables such as the clump size, oil concentration, age, quality and origin of your resin.

Enjoy the welcoming and relaxing aroma of frankincense.

TIP: Some people prefer to place a layer of sand between the base of the incense burner and the charcoal to provide heat insulation. Or some people prefer to place a thin layer of sand on top of the charcoal, then place the resin on top of the sand. You may want to experiment to find what works for you.

At Frankincense Pure, we provide frankincense resin and myrrh resin in their raw natural form. Mixing your favourite frankincense resin together with other natural resins such as myrrh provides yet another unique aroma. To buy frankincense and myrrh, check out our collection at Frankincense Pure.

Olibanum's odour profile is both earthy and fresh - like woody green undertones mixed with a fruity aroma on top. It'll remind you of pine and citrus.

Olibanum resin, also known as frankincense resin, has a wonderful depth of scent, giving off an aromatic experience that you'll always come back to for more.

The smell of olibanum or frankincense varies according to the specific species of the plant, and the soil and weather conditions it experienced as it grew. If you want to dive in, browse our frankincense for sale.

Here at Frankincense Pure we only recommend burning frankincense resin. We understand there may be people who choose to chew or ingest frankincense, however, we are not medically trained and can only recommend frankincense resin to be enjoyed by being burnt safely – on either a charcoal or tealight incense burner, for aromatic purposes.

If you want to buy frankincense and myrrh to use safely in your home or workplace, browse our collection online at Frankincense Pure.

Boswellia is a deciduous tree that belongs to the Burseraceae family. Within the genus Boswellia, there are many species, the common ones you may be familiar with are Boswellia Sacra, Boswellia Carterii and Boswellia Serrata.

Boswellia Sacra is native to the Arabian Peninsula (Oman and Yemen) and horn of Africa, Boswellia Carterii is native to Somalia, and Boswellia Serrata is native to India, Arabian Peninsula and Africa. Boswellia Serrata is sometimes referred to as Indian frankincense.

Resin harvested from the Boswellia species is referred to as frankincense resin, also commonly known as olibanum.

At Frankincense Pure, we source the highest-grade quality of frankincense and myrrh resin directly from Oman, Yemen and Somalia. We personally test each harvest to ensure it meets our quality standards for you to enjoy its aromatic qualities.

Boswellia is the scientific name for the tree species within the Burseraceae family, from which frankincense resin is sourced and harvested.