In short
Frankincense (olibanum) absolute is extracted with solvent from the gum resin. It is warmer, more ambery and balsamic than the fresh, terpenic oil.
What Frankincense Absolute smells like
Parchem describes frankincense absolute as woody, spicy, balsamic, warm and herbal, an amber-brown solid. The Good Scents Company lists woody, terpenic, incense, balsamic and herbal, and Charabot's olibanum absolute as ambery, vanillic and woody with a turpentine note.
- Leading note
- Incense
- Clear facets
- Balsamic
- Supporting facets
- Amber, vanilla
- Faint facets
- Terpenic
- Character
- Warm, tenacious
What makes Frankincense Absolute distinctive
Frankincense as a base note: amber and vanilla where the oil is fresh and lemony.
How Frankincense Absolute is used
Used as a lasting incense and amber note in oriental, woody and chypre bases.
Typical role: fixative (slow to evaporate; helps a blend last and holds lighter notes).
How Frankincense Absolute differs from similar materials
- Frankincense Oil (Olibanum)
- Frankincense oil is the fresh, lemony-terpenic distillate; the absolute is a warmer, ambery-vanillic, balsamic incense.
- Olibanum Resinoid Vulcain
- Olibanum Resinoid Vulcain is frankincense pyrogenated: smoky, leathery burning incense; the absolute is unburned, ambery and vanillic.
Each difference compares the published descriptions of the two materials. Smell varies with grade, supplier and dilution; compare them side by side on blotters before substituting one for another.
Formulation considerations
Shares its CAS number with frankincense oil or gum, so none is given here.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Absolute
- Origin
- Natural
- Odour family
- Resinous / Amber
- Note position
- Base note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Solid
- Also known as
- Olibanum absolute
- Botanical source
- Boswellia sacra Flück. / Boswellia carterii Birdw.
No CAS number is shown: suppliers use different identifiers for this material, and none could be confirmed as its own.
Safety and compliance
This page is general information, not a safety assessment or a specification. Confirm identity, composition, IFRA status and allergen content from your supplier's documents for the lot you hold.
Materials it works with
-
Frankincense Oil (Olibanum)
Essential oil · Resinous / Citrus — incense, resinous, lemony, smoky
-
Labdanum Absolute
Absolute · Amber / Leather — amber, balsamic, leathery, animalic
-
Myrrh Resinoid
Resinoid · Resinous / Spicy — balsamic, warm, spicy, resinous
Frankincense Absolute is also suggested as a partner on the pages for Olibanum Resinoid Vulcain.
Used in formulas and accords
Used in 4 published formulas
Frankincense Absolute is an ingredient in 2 perfume formulas and 2 accords in the Formula & Accord Library.
Community formulas
RUŌOD House Originals
Original compositions by RUŌOD House.
Further reading
Questions about Frankincense Absolute
Is Frankincense Absolute natural or synthetic?
Frankincense Absolute is natural. It is a concentrated extract obtained from plant material with a solvent, then washed with ethanol to remove the waxes.
Which published formulas use Frankincense Absolute?
Frankincense Absolute is used in 4 published formulas in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library, including Amber Accord, Orchid Accord and Smoke & Milk. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.
Sources
- Parchem — frankincense absolute — distributor's description.
- The Good Scents Company — frankincense absolute — odour database.
- Olfactory profile: the RUŌOD Lab team's synthesis of the published descriptions above, reviewed 26 October 2026. Evidence: more than one published description. Classification and the short description: revision 1. Descriptions of odour are judgement, not measurement.