Olibanum (Frankincense)

NaturalRESINS & BALSAMSbalsamic · woody · smoky

BasePyramid

3/5Strength

188hTenacity

5Origins

Specimen

Olibanum (Frankincense) perfume ingredient — Base

Boswellia spp. (including B. sacra, B. carterii, B. frereana)

Definition

Pine-sharp resin over a lemony freshness, drying to a sweet, churchy warmth. Frankincense smells like cutting into a Boswellia tree and watching the white tears bleed -- terpenic, bright, ancient.

WOODY CITRUS EARTHY SWEET BALSAMIC WARM FRESH RESINOUS

Frankincense, Olibanum resin

Instruments

Pyramid

TTop

HHeart

BBase

3/5Strength

Medium

odour strength

Tenacity on blotter

188hours · 8 days

1 h6 h24 h3 d7 d400 h

at 100 %

Producing countries

Ethiopia India Oman Somalia Yemen

Scent

Pine-sharp and lemony-fresh on opening, drying to a warm, sweet, balsamic-resinous heart. Less smoky than myrrh, less heavy than benzoin, with a particular transparent brightness in the top notes. The terpenic freshness is what distinguishes quality olibanum from cheap incense: good frankincense smells clean and lifted, not musty or stale.

The Full Story

Olibanum (frankincense) is the oleo-gum-resin harvested from several Boswellia species -- primarily B. sacra (Oman, Yemen), B. carterii (Somalia, Ethiopia), and B. frereana (Somalia). The resin exudes as milky 'tears' from bark incisions and hardens on exposure to air. The essential oil is obtained by steam distillation; the absolute and resinoid by solvent extraction.

The volatile profile is dominated by alpha-pinene (piney-fresh), limonene (citrus), alpha-thujene (herbal), and incensole acetate (the molecule increasingly studied for anxiolytic effects). The fresh, terpenic top note -- sharper and more citrusy than most people expect from 'church incense' -- gives way to a warm, balsamic, slightly sweet heart as the monoterpenes evaporate and the heavier sesquiterpenes and diterpenes remain.

In perfumery, olibanum is an important resins. It functions across the entire pyramid: terpenic freshness in the top, resinous warmth in the heart, and a soft, sweet-balsamic tenacity in the base. Central to incense, amber, chypre, and sacred-themed compositions. The material has been traded for over 5,000 years.

—

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method

Steam distillation of oleo-gum-resin tears yields frankincense essential oil (yield 3-10% depending on species and quality). Solvent extraction produces an absolute with heavier, more balsamic character. CO2 extraction captures a fuller olfactory profile than steam distillation. The resin itself is used directly as incense (burned on charcoal or in electric warmers).

Formula: Complex mixture (no single formula)
CAS: 8016-36-2
Botanical: Boswellia spp. (including B. sacra, B. carterii, B. frereana)
Appearance: Colorless to pale yellow clear liquid (essential oil)
Odour strength: Medium
Lasting power: 188 hours at 100%
Synonyms: Frankincense, Olibanum resin

IFRA status

See note

No IFRA Standard for the material itself (51st Amendment)

Physical properties

Boiling point: 137.00 to 141.00 °C. @ 760.00 mm Hg
Flash point: 96.00 °F. TCC ( 35.56 °C. )
Specific gravity: 0.85500 to 0.88000 @ 25.00 °C.
Refractive index: 1.46600 to 1.47700 @ 20.00 °C.

In Perfumery

Olibanum (frankincense) is a foundational resinous material functioning across the full pyramid. Top: terpenic freshness (alpha-pinene, limonene). Heart: resinous warmth. Base: sweet-balsamic tenacity. Sourced from Boswellia sacra, B. carterii, and B. frereana. Central to incense, amber, chypre, and sacred compositions. One of the oldest traded aromatic materials in human history.

Role in the formula

01modifier

02backbone

03blender

04volume builder

05freshness

06fixative

Available as

essential oil

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