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Olibanum Resinoid

Q: Is Olibanum Resinoid natural or synthetic?

. Extraction: Solvent extraction of Boswellia gum resin. The resinoid retains incensole and boswellic acids that are too heavy for steam distillation. Major sourcing from Somalia (B. carterii) and Oman (B. sacra). The resinoid is thicker and darker than the essential oil..

RESINS AND BALSAMS / resinous · incense · balsamic

Olibanum Resinoid

Category	RESINS AND BALSAMS
Subcategory	resinous · incense · balsamic
Origin
Volatility	Base Note
Botanical	Boswellia sacra · Boswellia carterii
Appearance	Pale yellow to dark amber semi-solid resinoid
Producing Countries	Ethiopia, Oman, Somalia
Pyramid	Base

Cool, balsamic-resinous with a churchy, incense quality. Olibanum resinoid is frankincense in its darker, more resinous form — less citrusy than the oil, more complex, more somber.

Scent
Terroir & Origins
The Full Story
Fun Fact
Extraction & Chemistry
In Perfumery

Scent

Dark, balsamic-resinous, incense-like. More somber and complex than frankincense oil. Less citrusy, more smoky, with a churchy depth. Captures the heavier, meditative quality of burning frankincense. Persistent and tenacious.

Evolution over time

Immediately

Dark, balsamic-resinous opening. Somber, incense-like.

After a few hours

Deep resinous heart. Smoky-churchy quality intensifies.

After a few days

Persistent dark-incense base. Meditative, tenacious.

Grades & Aging

Indicative 2025 wholesale prices.

The Full Story

Resinoid obtained by solvent extraction of olibanum (frankincense) gum resin from Boswellia species. The resinoid retains heavier, less volatile compounds that steam distillation misses — incensole, boswellic acids, and various diterpenes — giving it a darker, more complex character than frankincense essential oil.

The scent is balsamic-resinous, cool, and distinctly incense-like. Where frankincense oil is bright and citrusy (from alpha-pinene), the resinoid is darker, more meditative, and more churchy. It captures the full-spectrum incense experience — the smoke, the resin, the wood — in a way the oil cannot.

Olibanum resinoid and frankincense oil serve complementary roles in perfumery: the oil for brightness and lift, the resinoid for depth and persistence.

This note in Première Peau. Albâtre Sépia · Simili Mirage. Sample all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.

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Did You Know?

Did you know?

The word 'olibanum' derives from the Arabic 'al-lubān' (the milk), referring to the milky-white appearance of the fresh resin as it exudes from Boswellia tree bark. This same root gives us the French 'encens' (from 'incendere,' to burn) and ultimately 'incense' in English.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method: Solvent extraction of Boswellia gum resin. The resinoid retains incensole and boswellic acids that are too heavy for steam distillation. Major sourcing from Somalia (B. carterii) and Oman (B. sacra). The resinoid is thicker and darker than the essential oil.

↑ See Terroir & Origins for origin-specific methods.

Molecular Formula	Complex mixture (major: boswellic acids C₃₀H₄₈O₄)
CAS Number	8050-07-5
Botanical Name	Boswellia sacra · Boswellia carterii
IFRA Status	No known restrictions
Synonyms	FRANKINCENSE RESINOID · BOSWELLIA RESINOID
Physical Properties
Appearance	Pale yellow to dark amber semi-solid resinoid
Flash Point	> 212.00 °F. TCC ( > 100.00 °C. )
Specific Gravity	1.07800 to 1.09200 @ 25.00 °C.
Refractive Index	1.48000 to 1.49900 @ 20.00 °C.

In Perfumery

Base note in incense, amber, and sacred compositions. Olibanum resinoid provides the deep, resinous, 'church incense' quality that the essential oil is too bright to deliver. It anchors incense accords, provides dark balsamic depth in ambers, and works in compositions evoking meditation, spirituality, and antiquity. Pairs with myrrh, benzoin, labdanum, and styrax. Powerful fixative.