Organic Frankincense Carterii Essential Oil

Yes, 100% pure Boswellia carterii resin oil from Kenya, nothing added or diluted, bottled in the UK and GC tested. You will also see this species sold as olibanum, or simply as frankincense oil, because Boswellia carterii is the species most people mean by the word.

On the botany: Kew treats Boswellia carteri as a synonym of Boswellia sacra, so you may see the two names used for the same tree. In the trade they stay distinct oils from different regions with different GC profiles, which is why we list Carterii and Sacra separately.

And a point worth knowing about any frankincense oil: boswellic acids are non-volatile, so they do not survive steam distillation and are not in an essential oil. For those you need a resin extract, not an oil.

All three are true frankincense, from different Boswellia species, and they genuinely smell and behave differently.

Boswellia carterii vs Boswellia serrata is the comparison people ask about most. Carterii comes from East Africa, ours from Kenya, and is the richer, sweeter, more traditional frankincense: warm and balsamic with a soft citrus lift, slightly thicker on the skin, which suits dry and mature skin. Serrata comes from India, is lighter and more lemony with a pine edge, absorbs more easily, and is the one usually chosen for oilier skin and for everyday value.

Boswellia carterii vs Boswellia sacra: Sacra, from Oman, is the rare and most prized one, brighter and more lemony at the top. Carterii is less bright but more grounding, and far more widely available, which is why most aromatherapy recipes are written around it.

In short: Serrata for everyday value, Carterii for the classic aromatherapy character, Sacra for the connoisseur. If a recipe just says frankincense, it usually means Carterii.

Standard care: ventilated rooms with an exit for the animal, never applied to fur, bottles stored out of reach.

Daily meditators and skincare blenders should consider the larger options; the small bottle is the classic introduction.

It has accompanied contemplative practice for thousands of years, slow, warm and steadying. The traditional answer is an unqualified yes.

Myrrh, cedarwood, lavender and sweet orange, the great harmoniser of resin and wood blends. By proportion: carterii 2 : myrrh 1 for deep resin, carterii 2 : lavender 2 : sweet orange 1 for something softer, or carterii 2 : cedarwood 1 : sweet orange 2 for wood and citrus. Follow your diffuser's instructions for the total drops. More combinations are in our frankincense diffuser blends guide.

It is the frankincense most skincare recipes were written around: mature skin, blemish marks and evening facial oils. Boswellia carterii oil is a little richer on the skin than Serrata, which is why it tends to be the pick for dry or mature skin while Serrata suits oilier skin. Dilute to 0.5 to 1% on the face, one drop at a time, and patch test first.

3–5 per 100 ml, frankincense rewards patience; let it build for ten minutes before judging.