Frankincense Carterii Essential Oil - CO2 Extracted (Boswellia Carterii)
- CO2 extracted from Somali Boswellia carterii resin. The carbon-dioxide extract of the frankincense tree, taken straight from Somali gum resin.
- Why CO2, not the distilled oil. Carbon dioxide extraction gives a different frankincense from the distilled oil, and the Description tab tells you how. Read the story.
- Deep, sweet and incense-like. A lively top over a warm, sweet resin that settles and lasts, the frankincense scent itself.
- A fixative for blending. It sits low under a citrus or a spice and holds it in place, the deep resin the rest of a blend leans on.
- Third-party tested, small artisan batches. Made by skilled producers and tested by an outside lab, the way all our oils are.
- An oil we use ourselves. Like everything we sell, we use this frankincense too; the Compare tab has the sizes. Compare sizes.
Product specification
Batch transparency
View the full compositionFrankincense carterii, CO2 extracted from Somali resin
6 benefits of Frankincense Carterii
The incense in a diffuser
Frankincense carterii CO2 diffuses into a deep, sweet, incense-like scent, the frankincense the ancients burned as incense. A few drops in a water diffuser bring it into a room. It is the resin itself, nothing added and nothing standing in for it.
A fuller frankincense than the distilled oil
This CO2 extract carries the resin's incensole and heavier molecules, so it reads more complete than a steam-distilled frankincense. What you get is a rounder, more resin-true frankincense, closer to the tears the tree gives up. The difference is fullness of scent, nothing more.
An anchor in a perfume blend
As a fixative, frankincense carterii holds a perfume together, keeping lighter citrus and spice in place while it adds a deep, resinous scent of its own. A drop or two anchors a blend and makes the whole thing last longer. Perfumers use it where a heavier resin would turn a formula sharp.
A scent for a body oil
Blended into a carrier oil, frankincense carterii lends its deep resin scent to a body or facial oil. The scent is the point here, not a claim on the skin. It always goes on in a carrier and never neat.
A connoisseur's frankincense
This is a rare Boswellia carterii, a Somali CO2 extract for the collector who wants the genuine species rather than a borrowed name. Our frankincense range runs deep, taking in sacra, serrata and more, chosen for people who can tell one frankincense from another. It is the sort of bottle you go looking for.
Olibanum, burned as incense
Frankincense carterii is olibanum, the frankincense resin of the old Incense Route. Its Arabic name is al-luban, and the tree bleeds a milky sap when it is cut. What sits in this bottle is that resin, held as a CO2 extract.
How to use
Diffuser
In the airAdd 3 to 4 drops to a water diffuser for a medium room, then a drop at a time until it smells right to you. Frankincense carries well, so a little is plenty. Run it for 30 to 60 minutes, then let the room clear for a while with a window open.
On the skin
TopicalDilute frankincense carterii to 1 to 2 percent before it touches skin, which is 6 to 12 drops in 30 ml of a carrier oil. Keep the face lower, at 3 to 6 drops in 30 ml. Patch test a small spot on the inner arm and wait a day before wider use. We do not use this oil neat.
As a fixative
In a blendFrankincense carterii works as the deep resin a lighter oil sits over, so build a blend on it and let the brighter oils come and go on top. Disperse it in a carrier oil with the other oils before anything reaches skin. A little holds the whole blend together.
3 recipes using this oil
Tap a recipe to see the full formula and method.
Method. Drop the oils into a water diffuser and run a 30 to 60 minute session. The bergamot lifts the opening, the cedarwood brings a dry wood, and the frankincense settles underneath, the base the blend rests on.
Method. Stir the drops through the carrier oil in a bottle and warm it between your palms before use. Smooth a little over the shoulders and the back of the neck. Keep it capped and out of the sun, and finish it within a few months.
Method. Fill a 10 ml roller bottle with the jojoba oil, add the drops, and cap it. Roll it over the wrists and pulse points and let it settle. Keep it out of the sun between uses.
Technical information for this batch
At 35.1% this batch is dominated by alpha-Pinene — a monoterpene with a fresh, resinous, pine-like aroma.. Serratol / Incensole sits at 11.8%, Limonene sits at 8.5%. The oil is pale yellow color and thin consistency, and it reads as a base note in a blend.
Compare sizes and pick your value
Every size is the same oil. The larger the bottle, the lower the price per ml.
Other frankincense and resinous oils we carry
Technical information
Frequently asked questions
7 answers drawn from the product specification and our own use of this oil.
Frequently bought together
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