Frankincense resin is obtained from trees of the genus Boswellia (family Burseraceae). Incisions are made in the trunks of the trees to produce exuded gum, which appears as milk like resin. The resin hardens into orange-brown gum resin known as frankincense.

How is frankincense essential oil extracted?

The extraction of frankincense essential oil was done by steam distillation. The extraction process continued for 4 hrs and 40 minutes, and the final yield of essential oil was 4.9 ml. … The yield of oil is more when frankincense is in powder form than in granulated form.

Why is frankincense so expensive?

The sacred trees that produce Frankincense and Myrrh are almost impossible to grow outside of the Arabian Peninsula, which meant they were constantly in short supply and high demand. According to a famous Roman historian, the sap made the Arabians the richest people on earth by Jesus’s time, more valuable than gold.