Govinda Frankincense Natural Tree Sap Gum Pea Size 1 lb

Smells amazing once it’s burned off
This is my first time actually buying the resin rather than the incense. I burned it with some quick light charcoal and it really made a lot of smoke, almost more than we could handle but it’s a learning process. The scent of the fumes coming right off the resin smells a bit smoky and you don’t get the full appreciation of how great this is until you walk away. Don’t smell the smoke directly, burn it and then your house will smell like a temple or a Catholic church at Christmas mass.I only burned a large pinch and it was enough to heavily scent the whole (small) house like Frankinscence. It didn’t smell “burnt smoky” once it was done, only incensey. It was an absolutely wonderful experience and all the negative energy felt neutralized and cleared after I was done walking around the house with it. Most of mine aren’t ‘pea size,’ they are more like aquarium gravel. It came double bagged. This bag will last a very long time.

Boswellia Papyrifera is the likely variety( Ethiopia); Cheap because it is likely strip harvested
I normally buy my resins sustainably through the big e-commerce site that starts with E and ends with y, from a wonderful Apothecary’s garden. (That is basically the name, you can search it there). This is my emergency and cheap stash, but it is certainly NOT sustainably harvested, and that is why it is so cheap.This is one of many varieties of frankincense: likely Boswellia Papyrifera, because it is from Ethiopia.It IS edible as are all “tears”of frankincense. It has many many health benefits — even common pharmaceutical level efficacy — anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory and other amazing results stopping diseases well — backed up by peer-reviewed published science; you can search this on Google Scholar or pubmed and more.(By the way, essential oil of frankincense does NOT have the same health-giving compounds called boswellic acids, that are found in a few whole-resin varieties of frankincense, or the boswellia genus of trees. The healthy compounds are only in the WHOLE RESIN if you are consuming it. The resin “tears” can be consumed by dropping a few of the nuggets into hot water to make a tea — just leave the tears in the cup and sip all day, resteeping. It can also be ground into a powder with a mortar and pestle — preferably brass to counteract the sticky tendancies, and the powder can be swallowed whole — my husband loves it straight — or mixed into yogurt or sprinkled onto honey toast, among many other ways of consuming it.)Of course you can burn this resin on charcoal, but I prefer to place it into an electric burner, into a little empty aluminum votive cup (for easy clean-up) atop the electric burner cup area (my favorite that has lasted years is called Golden Lotus Electric Incense Heater; don’t be fooled by the ones here on Amazon as they have all broken on me within a couple of months. The one I named here is purchased elsewhere, just google the name. Yes it is a bit expensive but it will last forever, and you do not have to inhale smoke. I have left that burner on for MONTHS without fail, actually years without turning it off, and it keeps going. Put the resin in a little empty votive cup — or make a cup of aluminum foil — and put it on the burner and let it go all day long, or all night long, or both. I change it once a day. Of course you can swap other resin types, like copal or myrrh.This frankincense gets bad reviews here mainly because people think it is so cheap that it must be fake — It is most certainly not fake. I think some have received older batches as a few have complained of no scent. I have bought this about once a year for years and years, and it has always had light scent. I buy pounds of frankincense of many varieties a year, almost all at high prices. Those other that are higher prices are sourced where trees are left intact, the region is not stripped of frankincense, the trees and surrounds are not damaged, and the local people are paid fairly and well. Those frankincense batches at higher sustainable prices are like smelling heaven, and each variety has a slightly different scent.THIS frankincense when fresh has a decently good scent and works in a pinch, but should not be the go-to for purchasing because the price proves it is strip harvested and the people are paid little (or a corporation is making the money, no local people). The trees are scraped of all resin, and likely damaged in the process. There is no resin left for miles around, for other animals or for the tree’s healing. That is why I do not recommend this source, but I rate it well enough.It DOES have Boswellic acids which are anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer and a myriad of other benefits (go to Google scholar and search for boswellic acids, the results are legend and are surely only unknown because of the pharmaceutical industry).There are 5 varieties of frankincense that have these acids, but papyrifera also has a couple of other components that are hard to find: Incensole and incensole acetate. The most well known varieties with these healing boswellic acids are boswellia sacra and boswellia carterii. There are a couple of others, research can point them out.

Pleasant aroma.
A good product with a pleasant aroma.Note that other reviews state the product is covered in dust. This happens because…. You know. Physics.

Ideal for my use
The size of the incense is ideal for my use, gives a perfect smoke level, burns for 2 hours or more and doesn’t have an offensive odour.

Amazing stuff! Going to grind it down and make a face oil and cream with it. I’ve also burned some and it has an amazing smell!

Excellent value and very fast shipping thank you