Frankincense smells bright, resinous and cool. Smelled from the resin or a good oil, it opens with a fresh, lemony, almost peppery lift — some notice pine or green apple — and settles into a dry, balsamic, slightly smoky warmth that many people associate with old churches and quiet rooms. In perfume, frankincense (also called olibanum) gives clarity and calm rather than sweetness: it can make a citrus feel airy, a wood feel spiritual, or an amber feel less heavy. It comes from the dried resin of Boswellia trees, which grow in southern Arabia, the Horn of Africa and India.

Where frankincense comes from

Frankincense is a gum resin. Harvesters make shallow cuts in the bark of Boswellia trees; a milky sap seeps out and hardens over days into pale "tears", which are collected by hand. Several species are used:

  • Boswellia sacra — from southern Oman, Yemen and Somaliland; often considered the classic frankincense.
  • Boswellia carterii and B. frereana — from the Horn of Africa (botanists debate whether carterii is a separate species from sacra).
  • Boswellia papyrifera — from Ethiopia, Eritrea and Sudan.
  • Boswellia serrata — Indian frankincense.

The trade is ancient. Frankincense was carried along overland and sea routes to Egypt, the Mediterranean and beyond, and burned in temples and homes; see A Short History of Perfume and Perfume in Ancient Egypt. In Oman, frankincense trees and the ancient trading sites connected to them are inscribed together on UNESCO’s World Heritage List as the "Land of Frankincense".

What it smells like, facet by facet

  • Citrus and pepper — the first impression: zesty, slightly metallic and sparkling.
  • Pine and green — a resinous freshness, like crushed needles.
  • Balsamic and woody — the warm heart of the material, dry rather than sweet.
  • Smoke and incense — the smell of the resin burning: soft, grey and churchlike.
  • Mineral — a cool, stony quality that perfumers use to make compositions feel airy. See What Does Mineral Mean in Perfume?.

Perfumers use the essential oil (steam-distilled from the resin) for brightness, and extracts made with solvents for a richer, more balsamic smell; see How Perfume Ingredients Are Extracted. A perfume listing "frankincense" may use these, or other materials that evoke them; see Are Perfume Notes Real Ingredients?.

Frankincense is the rare resin that smells of light rather than of honey.

Frankincense and myrrh: the difference

The two resins are named together so often that they are easy to confuse.

  • Frankincense (Boswellia) is bright, lemony, peppery and cool.
  • Myrrh (Commiphora) is darker, warmer and more bitter: earthy, slightly medicinal, with a mushroomy, leathery sweetness.

In a perfume, frankincense tends to lift and myrrh to deepen. Many incense perfumes use both. Myrrh also features in classic amber compositions; see Amber Fragrances.

How perfumers use frankincense

  • In incense perfumes, where it is the theme — often with myrrh, woods and smoke.
  • In citrus and cologne-style perfumes, to give lemon and bergamot a cool, lasting shimmer. See Bergamot in Perfume.
  • In woody perfumes, beside cedar, vetiver and sandalwood. See Woody Fragrances.
  • In ambers and oud perfumes, where it adds air to dense resins. See What Is Oud?.
  • In mineral and aromatic perfumes, with sage, rosemary and sea salt.

Frankincense also has a long life outside perfume, burned as incense in religious ritual and, in Arabia, as part of everyday hospitality; see Perfume Culture in the Middle East.

Wearing frankincense

  • If you like fresh scents but want something calmer and longer-lasting, look for frankincense with citrus.
  • If you like woods, frankincense with cedar or vetiver gives them a quiet, contemplative air.
  • If you dislike sweet ambers, frankincense-led incense perfumes are often drier and cooler.

As with any resin, it lasts well and develops slowly; give it a full day on skin. See How to Test a Perfume Before You Buy It.

Common questions

Does frankincense smell like church?

To many people, yes — because it has been burned in churches for centuries. In perfume it is often fresher and more citrus-like than burning incense.

Is olibanum the same as frankincense?

Yes. Olibanum is another name for frankincense, common in perfumery.

Is frankincense sweet?

Not very. It is resinous and balsamic, but drier and brighter than benzoin, labdanum or vanilla.

What is the difference between frankincense and myrrh?

Frankincense is brighter and lemony; myrrh is darker, warmer and more bitter. Both are resins from trees of the same botanical family.

Sources

UNESCO World Heritage Centre, "Land of Frankincense" (Oman), inscribed in 2000 (ref. 1010). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Plants of the World Online — entries for the genus Boswellia and Commiphora myrrha, checked on 11 October 2026; botanical names change.

Further reading

For perfumers, RUŌOD Lab covers olibanum, myrrh and the balsams as formulation materials in Incense and Resins in Perfumery.