Carfan (pronounced as ‘arfaan, meaning fragrance in Somali) Essentials Limited is a natural products company based in Jigjiga, the Capital of the Somali Region of Ethiopia. At the heart of the Somali Region and the greater Ogaden, we are at cradle of the best frankincenses and myrrhs, and a people with generations of experience and heritage to the wildly growing and indigenous Commiphora and Boswellia trees.
Our vision is to enable the indigenous communities — mostly nomadic pastoralists, women and young men — to get the most out of these medicinal flora. We are doing this through educating them about the far reaching benefits of the trees and the need to conserve them, the best methods of harvesting the oleogum resins and keeping the purity of the resins during collection, and by offering them the best prices the market can offer. To the other community members who are not directly involved in the frankincense and myrrh business, and to the whole world, we offer you the benefits of the resins through our high-quality, yet affordable, essential oils, cosmetics and soaps. By buying from us, not only do you get the tremendous and extensive benefits of these natural extracts, but you also get to improve the livelihoods of those who have, generations after generations, looked after the bushlands of frankincense and myrrh.
All of our products are inspired by the traditions, cultural heritages and scientifically-proven medicinal benefits of the various species of frankincense and myrrh. Our natural recipes are deliberately intended to be friendly to your skin biomes and to be especially nourishing and protective, in a modern environment where pollution is rampant. For more on our products, please visit our Ingredients page.