Puntland · Sanaag · Northern Somalia

Tears of Luban

Premium Somali frankincense — Beeyo and Maydi, direct from source

The finest resin from the oldest frankincense trade in the world

The Resins Request Samples
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The Resins

Two of the world's most prized frankincense varieties. Both from Somalia. Nowhere else.

Northern Somalia is the heartland of frankincense. The Puntland and Sanaag regions produce Beeyo and Maydi — botanically distinct, aromatically unique, and irreplaceable. We source both directly from the harvesting communities that have collected them for generations.

Boswellia carterii · Available Now
Beeyo The Benchmark Somali Frankincense

Milky, honey-gold tears with a warm, balsamic depth and a bright citrus lift. Beeyo is the frankincense that built the ancient trade — the resin Egyptian pharaohs sent great fleets to collect from the Land of Punt. Today it remains the most widely used frankincense in fine fragrance, incense, and aromatherapy globally. Ours is sourced from the Bari and Sanaag regions, widely considered to produce the finest Boswellia carterii anywhere.

Aroma Profile
Warm Balsamic Bright Citrus Woody Base Sweet Resin Subtle Pine
ColourMilky honey-gold
FormRaw resin tears
OriginBari & Sanaag, Somalia
SupplyBulk · Available now
Fine Fragrance Liturgical Incense Aromatherapy Natural Skincare Essential Oil Distillation
Boswellia frereana
Coming Soon
Maydi The King of Frankincense

Large, translucent golden tears with a character unlike any other frankincense on Earth. Where Beeyo is warm and balsamic, Maydi is sharp, clear and resinous — fresh pine top notes over a deep, complex woody base. It contains no boswellic acid, making its chemistry entirely unique. Maydi grows exclusively on the steep limestone slopes of coastal northern Somalia. Every attempt to cultivate it elsewhere has failed. Over 70% of the global yield has historically been absorbed by Gulf markets alone, where it is regarded as a prestige commodity. Supply is genuinely limited.

Aroma Profile
Clear Pine Fresh Resin Deep Woody Complex Base No Boswellic Acid
ColourLarge translucent gold
FormRaw resin tears
OriginNorthern Somalia only
SupplyLimited · Register interest
Luxury Perfumery Niche Fragrance Pharmaceutical Premium Wellness Gulf & Middle East
Register Interest
Quality

What makes Somali frankincense the standard the world measures against

Not all frankincense is equal. The species, the region, the elevation, the harvesting method and the season all affect the quality of the resin. Northern Somalia produces conditions that cannot be replicated — and Beeyo and Maydi reflect that in every tear.

✦ The Tears

Premium frankincense is graded by the size, clarity and purity of the resin tears. Our Beeyo is selected for large, clean, milky-gold pieces with minimal bark — the grade that perfumers and ingredient houses pay the highest prices for.

◈ The Aroma

Freshness is everything in frankincense. Resin that has passed through multiple hands and sat in warehouses loses its volatiles. Ours moves directly from harvest to buyer — which means you receive the full aromatic profile, not a degraded version of it.

◉ The Region

The Bari and Sanaag highlands of northern Somalia produce Boswellia carterii and frereana in conditions found nowhere else — altitude, soil composition, and rainfall patterns that the ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greeks all recognised as producing the finest frankincense on Earth.

◇ The Harvest

Frankincense is harvested by making precise incisions in the bark and collecting the resin that flows and hardens into tears. The skill of the harvester directly affects quality — overtapping damages the tree and dilutes the resin. Our harvesters have been doing this for generations.

◌ The Traceability

Every batch we supply is traceable to its harvest region. You know exactly where your resin came from. For cosmetic and pharmaceutical applications, for ingredient storytelling, and for procurement compliance — this matters.

◎ The Consistency

Direct relationships with the same harvesting communities season after season means consistent quality, consistent grading, and consistent supply. The opposite of what you get from a commodity trading chain that switches source at the cheapest price.

The Origin

The Land of Punt — where the finest frankincense has always come from

"The fragrant land" — what the ancient Greeks called the coast of northern Somalia.

Egyptian pharaohs called it Ta Netjer — Land of the Gods. They sent great fleets across the Red Sea specifically to collect frankincense from these mountains. The Romans called it The Spice Port. The Greeks, The Cape of Spices.

Every great civilisation that encountered Somali frankincense recognised it as exceptional. That hasn't changed.

The Puntland and Sanaag regions have been producing Beeyo and Maydi for 4,500 years. The same mountains. The same species. The same harvesting methods passed down through generations.

What has changed is who captures the value. For most of that history, the harvesters have seen the least reward in the chain. Tears of Luban was founded to change that — we purchase directly from harvesting communities, pay above the rates of the traditional trading chain, and supply directly to the brands that use our frankincense.

The result is better for everyone involved: better quality for buyers, better prices for harvesters, and a supply chain that is honest about where it comes from.

4,500Years of recorded trade
2Unique varieties
0Intermediaries
How We Work

The frankincense trade has always moved through many hands. We removed those hands.

We work directly with harvesting communities across the Puntland and Sanaag regions. We purchase at the point of collection, paying above the rates of the traditional trading chain, and supply directly to our buyers. No layers. No opacity. A clean line from tree to delivery.

01 Direct Purchase at Source

We buy from harvesting communities in northern Somalia at the point of collection. No trading intermediaries between the harvester and us — which means you get fresher resin, full traceability, and pricing that reflects the actual cost of production rather than a markup chain.

02 Graded at Origin

Resin is graded and quality-checked at source before it moves. This is where quality is determined — not in a warehouse at the other end of a supply chain. You receive the grade you specify, consistently.

03 Supplied Direct to You

From Somalia to your facility. We handle international freight and logistics, and supply with full documentation including regional provenance. Samples available before any commitment to volume.

"Maydi and Beeyo are not commodity ingredients. They are the oldest internationally traded aromatic materials in human history, from the only place on Earth they have ever grown."

Tears of Luban · Somalia · Direct from the Land of Punt

Enquire

Request samples or discuss direct supply

We supply Beeyo now. Maydi coming soon. Samples available on request.

We work with fragrance houses, ingredient suppliers, wellness brands, church suppliers, and wholesale buyers. If you use frankincense, speak to us directly.

Emailenquiries@tearsofluban.com
OriginPuntland & Sanaag, Northern Somalia
Available NowBeeyo — Boswellia carterii
Coming SoonMaydi — Boswellia frereana
SupplyBulk wholesale · Long-term agreements · Samples

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