Frankincense Bar

Madaba olive oil — The base of the bar, pressed in Madaba. Makes a mild, conditioning soap with a low, dense lather.

Frankincense extract and frankincense oil — The hero, used twice. The extract in the water phase, the oil at trace. Boswellia resin, tapped from the bark of the tree.

Sweet orange oil — Lifts the top. Frankincense on its own sits low and heavy.

Lavender oil — Softens the resin so it doesn't go austere.

Geranium oil — Green and floral. Rounds the edges.

Shea butter & sweet almond oil — Richness. Why the bar feels cushioned rather than squeaky.

Castor oil — Lather. A small amount does a lot.

Kaolin clay — Silkiness and slip on the skin.

Mica — Mineral colour. That's the whole colour story — nothing else.

Made only with plant oils, botanical extracts, and mineral color.

Wet the bar and work it between your palms for a few seconds — olive oil soap lathers low and slow, so give it a moment before it blooms. Then across the body, or over the hands at the sink.

The resin comes forward in hot water and stays on the skin longer than the florals do. If you've used the other bars and wondered what the note underneath them was, this is it.

Keeping it: stand it on a draining dish where air can get underneath. An olive oil bar that dries out between washes will last weeks longer than one sitting in a puddle.

What does frankincense actually smell like?

Resinous and dry — closer to woodsmoke and citrus peel than to anything floral. It's the note people recognise from incense without always being able to name it. Sweet orange and lavender keep it from going austere.

What does "twice over" mean?

The formula uses both frankincense extract and frankincense oil. They go in at different stages and behave differently — the extract in the water phase, the oil later. Most soap uses one or the other, if it uses frankincense at all.

Is this the same frankincense that's in the other bars?

Yes. A small amount of frankincense oil sits at the base of all six. This bar adds the extract and considerably more of the oil, so it leads rather than supports.

How long does a bar last?

It depends almost entirely on whether you let it dry out between uses. On a draining dish with air underneath, a bar lasts considerably longer than one sitting in water. That single habit makes more difference than anything else.

Why olive oil?

It's the tradition this soap comes from, and it makes a milder, denser bar than the palm and tallow blends most bar soap is built on. It also lathers lower — that's the trade, and we think it's the right one.

Can I use it on my face?

It's a body and hand bar. That said — I've used it on my face daily for months. Everyone's skin is different, so patch test first. — Rudi, founder

Where does it ship from?

Made in Jordan, shipped from California.