Frankincense: The Resin, the Incense and How It Differs From Myrrh

Also known as	Olibanum. Ruxiang (乳香, “milk incense”) and xunlu in Chinese
What it is	Resin of Boswellia trees that seeps from cuts in the bark and hardens
Scent	Crisp, resinous, with pine and a hint of citrus
Key compounds	The scent comes mainly from α-pinene (about 40 to 80% of Omani frankincense oil) and limonene. The non-volatile part contains boswellic acids
Grown in	Dhofar in Oman, the Horn of Africa, India
Common forms	Resin tears, incense sticks, essential oil, oral extracts
Protection	Not listed under CITES. Boswellia sacra is Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List

What is frankincense?

Harvesters make shallow cuts in the bark of a frankincense tree. A milky sap runs out and slowly hardens in the air into translucent tears. They hang like drops of milk, which is where the Chinese name ruxiang, “milk incense,” comes from. Old traders graded it by its look. The best pieces were round, large and clear.

What does frankincense smell like?

Crisp and bright, like pine needles and lemon peel, with a little sweet resin underneath. The pine side comes mostly from α-pinene, about 40 to 80% of Omani frankincense oil. The citrus side comes mostly from limonene.

Does frankincense smell without heat?

Yes, but lightly. At room temperature the tears smell of clean pine resin. Put them on a burner, warm or lit, and the scent opens up fully.

How do you use frankincense?

Way	How	Good for
Gently heated	Tears on an electric warmer, never lit	Fresh pine and citrus, little smoke
As incense	Tears on charcoal, or made into sticks	A room, meditation, religious ritual
As essential oil	Diluted in a diffuser or a carrier oil	Perfume, skincare
As an oral extract	Indian frankincense extract sold as a supplement	See the research in the benefits section

How is frankincense different from other materials?

Three comparisons come up most: the different kinds of frankincense, myrrh, which so often appears beside it, and the word incense, which people mix up with it.

Kinds: Omani, Ethiopian and Indian frankincense

	Omani	Ethiopian	Indian
Botanical name	Boswellia sacra	Boswellia papyrifera	Boswellia serrata
Grown in	Dhofar in Oman and nearby	Ethiopia, Sudan, Eritrea	India
Known for	Dhofar is the World Heritage “Land of Frankincense”	Supplies most of the world’s frankincense	Mostly used in oral extracts

Similar material: frankincense vs myrrh

	Frankincense	Myrrh
Comes from	Resin of Boswellia trees	Resin of Commiphora trees
Scent	Crisp, pine, citrus	Bitter, deep, medicinal
Nature in the Bencao Gangmu	Slightly warm	Bitter, neutral

Both trees belong to the same family, Burseraceae. In the Bible they arrive together as gifts of the Magi. Chinese medicine often uses the two together too, since both are thought to ease pain and swelling.

Often confused: frankincense is not just “incense”

In English, incense means any burned aromatic. Frankincense is one particular resin. Olibanum is the same thing as frankincense, a name used more in perfumery and pharmacy.

Where does frankincense come from?

Its growing areas are shrinking. A 2019 study in Nature Sustainability surveyed 23 frankincense populations with 21,786 trees. Over 75% of the populations had almost no young trees, and frankincense output is projected to halve within 20 years. The causes are cattle grazing, frequent fires and over-tapping.

What are the benefits of frankincense?

Frankincense has been used as medicine for over a thousand years, and a few modern human trials exist. Below, each claim says who made it.

What Chinese medicine says

Traditional Chinese medicine used frankincense to move the blood and ease pain, for sores and for pain in the chest and abdomen. It was also boiled into a paste to help with sleep.

What modern research has found

Claim	Evidence	What was found
Eases joint pain	Human study	A 2020 meta-analysis pooled 7 randomized trials with 545 osteoarthritis patients. Taking frankincense or its extract by mouth reduced pain and stiffness and improved joint function. This was an extract people swallowed, not a scent they breathed
Lifts mood	Lab or animal	Incensole acetate, a compound in frankincense, showed anti-anxiety and antidepressant-like effects in mice
Fights inflammation and bacteria	Lab or animal	Frankincense essential oil showed antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects in lab tests

Frankincense in history and culture

The Land of Frankincense

The Land of Frankincense in Dhofar, Oman, was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000. It includes ancient ports, an oasis site and the Wadi Dawkah frankincense grove, where resin is still harvested. In ancient times the frankincense from here was one of the most valuable luxury goods traded across the Old World.

A gift of the Magi

Matthew 2 tells how the Magi brought the newborn Jesus gold, frankincense and myrrh. Catholic and Orthodox churches still burn frankincense in their services.

Not for the gods, said Daoist books

Oddly, Chinese Daoists counted frankincense and sandalwood as bathing aromatics, not to be burned as offerings to the gods.

Is frankincense safe?

Based on current evidence, yes, in normal amounts.

• A few people are allergic to resin aromatics. If you react to benzoin or myrrh, you may react to frankincense too.
• Taking a frankincense extract and smelling frankincense are two different things. Ask a doctor before you take a supplement.
• The traditional way is to burn the tears on charcoal, which makes a fair amount of smoke. An electric warmer at home makes much less.

Frankincense at ZendoDream

At room temperature frankincense has a faint cool note, very light. Gentle warmth brings it up a great deal, fresh and soothing. Many people buy Omani green frankincense, set it alight, and get a smell of burning firewood that catches in the throat. Our advice is to warm frankincense at a low heat and never burn it. Benzoin, frankincense and sandalwood together make a warm, balanced scent.

Frankincense is one of the resins in Singular Rose · Heated: sweet rose at the front, a soft tartness from roselle, a faint milky warmth underneath. 35 hand-rolled rose incense pellets, heated at 150°C / 300°F and never burned.

Pieces made with frankincense

FAQ

What is frankincense?

The resin that seeps from cuts in the bark of Boswellia trees and dries in the air. Most of it comes from Oman, the Horn of Africa and India.

What does frankincense smell like?

Crisp and bright, like pine needles with lemon peel, with a little sweet resin underneath. The scent comes mainly from α-pinene and limonene.

What is frankincense used for?

Incense, religious ritual, perfume and skincare. Chinese herbal books used it to move the blood and stop pain. Today Indian frankincense extract is also sold as an oral supplement.

What is the difference between frankincense and myrrh?

Both are resins from trees in the Burseraceae family. Frankincense comes from Boswellia and smells crisp and citrusy. Myrrh comes from Commiphora and smells more bitter and deeper. Chinese medicine often uses them together.

Is frankincense good for pain?

A 2020 meta-analysis of 7 trials with 545 patients found that frankincense extract taken by mouth reduced osteoarthritis pain. No studies so far show whether smelling frankincense does the same.

What is the frankincense in the Bible?

This same resin. In the Gospel of Matthew the Magi bring Jesus gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Are frankincense, olibanum and boswellia the same thing?

Olibanum is another English name for frankincense. Boswellia is the genus of the tree. Supplements labeled boswellia usually contain Indian frankincense extract.

Is frankincense incense safe?

Frankincense is safe in normal amounts, though a few people are allergic to resin aromatics. Burning it on charcoal makes a fair amount of smoke, so ventilate the room, or warm it on an electric burner for less smoke.

Sources

1. Frankincense in peril, Nature Sustainability, 2019 (Wageningen University news)
2. Effectiveness of Boswellia for osteoarthritis, BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, 2020
3. Moussaieff et al., 2008, FASEB Journal
4. Boswellia essential oil, Antibiotics, 2020
5. Journal of Chromatography A, 2012, frankincense authentication study
6. Land of Frankincense, UNESCO World Heritage List
7. Environment Society of Oman, frankincense research and conservation
8. Bencao Gangmu, Wood section, via Wikisource

This page is for general education. Health claims quoted from old texts and studies are not medical advice.