Oman Health: On the trail of Frankincense

The moment you enter her house in Shatti Al Qurm, the aromatic smell of frankincense wafting in the air will cast a spell on you.

The source of the scent was a room where the sunlight reflects on the copper alembics.

All the magic happens there.

American entrepreneur Trygve Harris distils Dhofari frankincense to create pure and natural essential oil free from additives.

“Our distillation is slow and seasonal. Using traditional copper alembics and low temperatures, the essential oil is coaxed and persuaded out of the resin,” she says on her website.

“This means the gum-oleoresin is immersed in water and heated to a slow boil. The liquid becomes steam and is forced through the pipes into a cooling vat called the condenser, where it changes back into liquid and separates into oil and water,” Harris explained.

The founder of Enfleurage Frankincense Distillery is also the inventor of frankincense ice cream and has been making it in the Salalah distillery since 2011.

“We have an online store based in New York. It’s enfleurage.com and we also have a boutique where aroma enthusiasts can come try all our essential oils—we have over 130 different ones,” she said.

The Californian scent artist is now planning to open a new boutique in Muscat after being in business for 20 years in New York and six years  in Oman.

While Dhofari frankincense has been used historically in churches, mosques and houses to provide worshippers a calm and serene feeling, the aromatic resin is also known for having many other benefits.

Here are some tips from enfleurage.com on how to use frankincense essential oil:

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