Essential Oil Spotlight: Opoponax

Somali Landscape where Opoponax is Harvested

Opoponax is an especially precious essential oil, and is used in our premium Eventyr candle. Hand extracted from the Commiphora guidottii tree, native to the horn of Africa, opoponax has had traditional uses in Somali and Ethiopian cultures for thousands of years. It has an evocative, sweet balsamic scent that is both exotic and calming.

Our opoponax comes from Somalia, where it is still harvested in the traditional way and supports communities in one of the poorest places on Earth, who are still proud of their tribal identities and traditional way of life.

The tree is cut at certain times of year and the sap allowed to leak and dry onto the bark. Passing down knowledge over generations, the communities know how to do this in a sustainable way to continue their livelihood year after year. Once the dry sap resin is collected, it is transported to the UK where it is heated in water and distilled to produce the essential oil we use in our candles.