Frankincense Frankincense (OmanEthiopia)

We source multiple species to offer our unique blend.

The Production Process

Frankincense has been a highly valued commodity for millennia, dating back to ancient Egypt, Assyria, and more. The precious resin comprises the oldest global supply chain.

It takes 12-20 years for a Boswellia tree to mature for harvesting The essential oil comes from the resin of the frankincense tree. One Boswellia tree can produce 3-4kgs of resin in one season Harvesters typically make shallow cuts in the bark, from which resin seeps out. The resin is left for two weeks to crystallize, which are then scraped off the tree. This process repeats over multiple weeks throughout the harvesting season. Resin tears are carefully cleaned and organized by size and color by harvesters before distillation.

Through doTERRA’s sourcing partners, more than 20,000 frankincense Boswellia trees have been planted globally since 2016

Frankincense essential oil is hydrodistilled. Steam distillation doesn’t effectively penetrate the hard frankincense resin, so a more intensive method is required. Sometimes called water distillation, hydrodistillation involves putting the resin in boiling water rather than above it like in steam distillation. To keep the resin from settling on the bottom and burning and avoid foam, it is constantly stirred. The rest of the process is similar to steam distillation, with the steam carrying the essential oil up into the condenser.

Frankincense Essential Oil | doTERRA Behind the Bottle: Episode 10