- The richly woody scent of frankincense and its close relative, myrrh, has become synonymous with Christmas. Along with gold, frankincense and myrrh were the gifts presented to the Christ child as he lay in his crib by the Three Wise Men, and today, both are used widely in Christmas candles, beauty products and burner oils. But with around 90 per cent of the world’s myrrh supply originating in Somalia and much of its frankincense sourced from Yemen, how ethical can they really be? And with resinous frankincense and myrrh trees becoming ever more rare, is there anything eco-friendly about frankincense Christmas candles at all?
Native to desert ecosystems, frankincense and myrrh are crucial to the economic wellbeing of some extremely vulnerable regions. For thousands of years, people have collected the precious sap for use in beauty. But the Horn of Africa, where much of it originates, is plagued with conflict, human rights abuses and corruption.....
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