We have relied on the aromatic sap of trees for comfort and healing since the dawn of time. Pine, Spruce, Fir, Frankincense, Myrrh, Elemi, and many, many more provide us with a wide range of therapeutic properties and applications.
Castoreum has a deep, rich, tenacious, leathery, woody scent,often with smoky undertones and hints of forest trees and plants. Castoreum is used as a fixative and a base to middle note in “Masculine”, Oriental, Chypre type perfumes, and in leather accords which it can generate almost single-handedly.
We have used Frankincense and Myrrh for medicine, cosmetics, perfume and incense since the dawn of civilization.
A tea made with Frankincense is an ancient and accepted remedy in many cultures and traditional medical systems for a broad range of ailments.
Considered an aphrodisiac since time immemorial, Ambergris fetches Astronomical prices for those lucky enough to find it washed up on beaches around the world.
The amber-scented wax of Bushman’s Candle is perfect for cosmetics, candles, moustache waxes, and therapeutic skin-healing formulas and is easy to extract from the bark.
February 2019 brought a visit with the Camel and Goat herders of the Somali region of Ethiopia. What was once called the “Ogaden”. They are the collectors of Frankincense and Myrrh.
During a trip to the Mediterranean and Africa, I purchased two kilos of the aromatic resin known as Ammoniacum. They were beautiful, fragrant, fresh specimens and of rare quality. They were still as the harvesters had gathered them, many resinous tears pressed into as big a ball as each could manage comfortably. Though steeply priced, […]
Continuing with the theme of DIY and home distillation, this is my latest easy to make distillation unit showcasing today’s distillation of Frankincense Dalzielii from Nigeria. A gorgeous looking resin that yields a superb essential oil.
Frankincense essential oil is no more anti-cancer than many other essential oils. Frankincense resin, however, contains Boswellic acids which show broad anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory activity in the laboratory and have been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years.
Labdanum, like many other resins, acts as a perming agent and when applied to the hair will set it and keep it in the desired style long after the resin is gone.
I have been told on occasion my instructions here could be clearer.  Though I’ve been meaning to rewrite some of them or do video tutorials, I just haven’t found the time.  Luckily, my Aromatherapist friend Robin Schiller-Kessler took the initiative, built my “Magical Couscousiere” still, and recorded the process step by step. I named it the […]
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