Frankincense, Rivae Essential Oil

This complex, formidable fragrance of earth and wood enveloped with candy-like sweetness is a siren song for perfumers.

Rare Rivae Frankincense arouses all the olfactory fascination of classic Frankincense with a daring dollop of dark and intensely incense-like notes that strengthen into cedarwood and cypriol with an even grander resinous scent.

This most fervent of Frankincenses is an aromatic achievement of Ethiopia, where the Boswellia tree’s amberous oleogums are wild-collected by the pastoral peoples who tend their flocks in the lowland forests of the Ogaden region. In the summer, Boswellia rivae trees weep their resin onto the bark where it dries into dusky pearls. The pearls are collected by hand and then steam distilled to release the precious, powerful aromatic oils.

Botanical Name: Boswellia rivae
Botanical Family: Burseraceae
Extraction Method: Steam distilled
Part of Plant Distilled: Resin
Country of Origin: Ethiopia
Cultivation Method: Wild gathered
Scent Description: Deep, dark, intense sweet and spicy balsamic scents combined with rich and dark resins.
Composition: 100% Boswellia rivae
Color: Transparent liquid with a hint of yellow amber.
Consistency: Thin viscosity
Blends well with: Sandalwood, Grapefruit, Rose Otto, Ylang, Firs, Spruces, Seabuckthorn, Immortelle, Lemon, Bergamot, Spikenard, Vetiver, Marjoram, Lavender, Oregano, and Chamomile.
Use: An incantation of amplification and in rites of personal purification. This finest Frankincense for perfumery is equally suited for easing tension and the appearance of redness, heat, dry skin, fine lines, and puffiness. Dab on fine lines, scars, and signs of premature aging for extra moisture. Divine in diffusers. Fantastic in salt pipes. Mindful in mediation.
Constituents: Rivae contains copious terpenes, mainly β-amyrin, α-amyrin, β-amyrenone, and α-amyrenone as well as uniquely abundant amounts of 24% α-pinene, 17% limonene, and 9% p-cymene.

Rivae Frankincense, a rare jewel in our Frankincense collection and a must-have for Boswellia enthusiasts. Its evocative essence flows from over 200 plant compounds, including uncommon amounts of aromatic alpha pinene and para cymene for the heavily scented woodsy, spicy, and balsamy aroma mixed with lavish limonene for sweetness. It is darker, sweeter, less lemony, and more leathery than other Frankincense essences.

In aromatherapy, Rivae Frankincense is a visible vesper of divine communication and an unparralled powerhouse for spiritual purification. In perfumery it may be applied neat to wrists, neck, and pulse points or combined with other aromatic essences; the tenacious and terreux aroma remains intricate and unforgettable from start to finish. As with all Frankincense essences, it offers a tender touch to skin in need and soothes and smooths lines, spots, and scars.

Rivae Frankincense is known locally in Ogaden, Ethiopia as “Mirafur.” Our essential oil is a fair-trade product, and because the trees are never tapped, it is endlessly sustainable yet also rather rare. Wild Boswellia rivae trees grow naturally in thickets, and the dried resin is hand-gathered by a small cooperative of local villagers and sheep herders, which generates needed income to the area.

Size: 5 ml