A year ago I knew nothing about plant chemistry or chemical analysis. But a visit to the perfumers’ fair SIMPPAR in Grasse, southern France, confirmed that I better learn more about it fast.
Let me share with you what I’ve been learning. For starters, check out this table, which lists the ten main components of three essential oils I made from the frankincense carterii harvested this summer by my supplier Beeyo Maal in Hasasha, Madar Mooge and (2024) Siraadley, three places in the same region of Somaliland.
GCMS analysis by Pyrenessences, 2026
Even if you know nothing about the molecules in the first column, you can see that the quantities vary quite a lot. There’s four times more limonene in Madar Mooge oil than in the one from Hasasha, which has three times more Sabinene. Now if you realize that each of these molecules, extracted from the resins by steam distillation, has its individual scent, you can understand without knowing anything about chemistry that these three essential oils have distinct aromatic profiles.
Frankincense carterii, which grows only in Northern Somalia and Somaliland – where it is called moxor – is one of the main varieties of frankincense, and the most used in perfumery. To help you understand the issue of variety, I like to make the comparison with grapes. Chardonnay, for example, is one of the grapes most frequently used to make white wine. Although you can recognize the specific taste of Chardonnay, you know that each vineyard of Chardonnay has its own quality of grapes, and that some grapes make much better wine than others.
The same applies for frankincense, at least the carterii. Each grove of moxor has its own character, in terms of not only perfume but also cosmetic and healing applications. I started this business venture on the premise that each grove should be marketed separately, exactly like the wines in Burgundy, where I grew up. That premise has been validated.
Perfumers want a steady supply of raw materials with a stable chemical profile. That is very hard to obtain because the market is segmented and chaotic. No Western supplier of fragrances of repute can establish an operation in frankincense growing areas of Somalia or Yemen, the main areas of production. It’s too dangerous in legal, reputational and financial terms.
So they work with middlemen, mostly trading companies based in Gulf countries. These do not themselves travel to the areas of production, but buy their supply from traders in local ports. These traders either buy it from representatives of producing communities who sell their wares in these ports, or they employ clan members and business allies to acquire resins in the villages.
Besides many other problems caused by this multi-layered supply chain, a resin will have gone through four pairs of hands, at least, before it reaches the perfume company. This makes it hard to guarantee a stable supply of one kind of resin only, especially given the conflict in the region. Perfumers buy ‘carterii from Somalia’, it doesn’t get more differentiated than that. It’s as if a restaurant could only provide Chardonnay from all mixed origins in France, never knowing if one batch will taste like the previous one.
2Mages can offer this stable supply of specific carterii resins and essential oils, albeit in small volumes. I rather sell to creative small cosmeticians, perfumers and wellness experts, who can deal with small volumes. These are the people I’m looking for at the fair.
Back to Grasse. The SIMPPAR is an annual fair, held alternatively in Paris and Grasse, the perfume capital of France; this edition takes place on 27 and 28 May, in the centre of Grasse, opposite the Fragonard distillery/museum. It brings together suppliers to the perfume industry, distributors and buyers.
I am there as an aspiring supplier without a booth. I have my wares with me, a set of freshly printed business cards, and a desire to get to know the industry and the people working in it, to find where I might fit in. Despite the heat I am doggedly determined to meet as many people and organisations as possible, and I will return to The Hague with a big stack of business cards, folders and notes.
Frankincense and myrrh continue to exercise a strong interest among perfumers, even though none of the suppliers present focuses on resins. What’s really in are citrus based essences, so expect more of that in the coming years’ perfumes – Persian lime, yuzu, and oranges in all declinations. But the consistent use of frankincense and myrrh by traditional Middle Eastern and European perfumers, along with the hallowed history of both resins, ensures interest in my products.
Potential buyers or distributors are aroused by the lovely aromatic profile of my oils and the fact that I control the entire process from resin selection to bottling the distilled oils, guaranteeing their organic quality. What I offer is at the high end of the market, the perfumers agree.
The five essential oils currently offered by 2Mages on the artisanal gift box I made for this fair
Booths and visitors at SIMPPAR Grasse, 27 May 2026
The most interesting encounter is with a group of perfumers at the ‘School for Noses’ in Grasse, over lunch at the sumptuous Villa Sanganeria. Only 12 students a year are admitted at this very exclusive training whose graduates find positions as chief perfumers of big companies. ‘Nez’, French for Nose, is the official title for this position. This international group of inspiring youngsters is fascinated by the chemical variations in the table above, which I have printed out as part of my documentation. (The full Press Kit I made for this event, in English and French, is online here). They read that like we read a poem, while taking turns sniffing my bottles. How can there be such aromatic differences between resins of a single species? they exclaim.
The students ask me about the supply of frankincense and myrrh: how is it collected, prepared for distillation and what are the challenges harvesters face locally? I tell them I may take them along one day to the mountains of Somaliland to see it for themselves. Before that, I could possibly give a presentation at their school.
This encounter fortifies my resolve to expand the collection of resins and essential oils I have on my website, and establish a collection of crazy carteriis, including the stories of the places and people where they are harvested. Perfumers need it, the world needs it, and it will be fun to put together.
