Frankincense is an aromatic resin used in incense and perfume, obtained from trees of the genus Boswellia in the family Burseraceae, and the essential oil sold under the same name carries that resin's warm, resinous character into a bottle. It is one of the few materials that sits comfortably in every part of our catalogue at once: incense, oil, old herbal and magical correspondence alike.

Several species of Boswellia produce frankincense, including Boswellia sacra, B. frereana, B. serrata and B. papyrifera, so two bottles wearing the same label may not come from the same tree at all. That single fact explains a great deal of the confusion around frankincense oil.

What the tradition says

In alchemical correspondence, frankincense is linked to Christ as a Solar Deity, and the Alchemy Journal includes it in its list partly because the resin can withstand the heat of the desert climate where it is found. That durability is part of why it became a burning incense rather than a fleeting scent — it holds its place on the charcoal and gives its smoke slowly.

In older English herbal writing the resin is called Thus, with Frankincense given as its English name. Culpeper's plaster of bay-berries takes frankincense, mastic and myrrh, an ounce of each, and works them into a plaster according to art. Plasters of this kind were a standard way of applying aromatic resins to the body in European practice, and frankincense appears in them repeatedly.

Historical context

Culpeper wrote that a plaster containing frankincense was an excellent remedy to ease pains from cold or wind, cholic and wind in the bowels, and that it helped the bitings of men and beasts, inflammations of wounds, joint infirmities and early gout. He went further still, claiming it was good to unite a cracked skull, draw out broken bones and cover bones with flesh. These are historical claims recorded in a seventeenth-century herbal, not instructions, and nobody should read them as a plan of care.

A Greek remedy for a weak stomach used frankincense with myrrh, wormwood and castor in wine, taken after dinner to assist digestion. Again, this is a record of what was written and practised, not a recommendation to follow.

The ingredient and the practice

Frankincense trees start producing resin at about eight to ten years old, and tapping is done two to three times per year, with the final taps giving the best tears because they carry a higher aromatic terpene content. Today around ninety per cent of the world's production comes from the Horn of Africa, mainly from border communities on the Somalia–Ethiopia border. The resin contains acid resin, gum, boswellic acids, incensole acetate, phellandrene and olibanic acid. In practice you will meet it in three forms: resin tears for burning, essential oil for diffusion and blending, and prepared products — an aromatherapy starter kit from Aromantic, for example, contains 10ml of organic frankincense essential oil.

Traditional associations

• Solar correspondence, and the link to Christ as a Solar Deity in alchemical writing.
• Heat and endurance, since the resin withstands the desert climate where it grows.
• Incense and perfume, its oldest and most widespread uses.
• The old English name Thus for the resin itself.
• Plaster work alongside mastic and myrrh in Culpeper's recipes.

How different traditions vary

Sources do not agree on how interchangeable frankincense oils really are. Only Boswellia sacra, Boswellia serrata and Boswellia papyrifera have been confirmed to contain significant amounts of boswellic acids, which means a bottle from B. frereana cannot be assumed to carry the same chemistry. Traditional writers disagree with each other too: Culpeper's plasters address wounds, joints and bones, the Greek remedy puts frankincense in wine after dinner for the stomach, and modern aromatherapy treats it mainly as a scent for burning or diffusing. Where sources conflict, we say so plainly rather than smoothing it over.

Practical use

The most traditional way to work with frankincense is simply to burn the resin as incense, which is how it has been used in incense and perfume for centuries. If you prefer the oil, a diffuser or a few drops on a tissue gives the same aromatic character without smoke, and it is the form most people meet first in an aromatherapy kit. Keep the room ventilated, keep burning resin away from anything flammable, and take care with children, pets and anyone sensitive to smoke.

For wearing, dilute the essential oil in a carrier oil before it touches skin — a two per cent blend is a common starting point — and patch test on the inner arm first. A drop or two in a warm bath, dispersed in a little carrier or milk, is another gentle option. None of this is medical treatment, and frankincense oil should not be swallowed.

Safety

What is and is not scientifically established

The composition is documented in the sources we hold: frankincense contains acid resin, gum, boswellic acids, incensole acetate, phellandrene and olibanic acid, and three species have been confirmed to contain significant boswellic acids. What is not established is the traditional claims. Culpeper's plasters, the Greek digestive remedy and the alchemical solar correspondence are records of historical practice and belief, not clinical findings, and nothing here shows frankincense oil treats or prevents any condition. Aromatherapy use rests on tradition, scent preference and personal experience.

Questions people ask

Which Boswellia makes the best frankincense oil?

Species vary, and only Boswellia sacra, B. serrata and B. papyrifera have been confirmed to contain significant boswellic acids. If a particular chemistry matters to you, ask the supplier which species their oil comes from.

Can I burn the resin instead of using the oil?

Yes — frankincense is an aromatic resin used in incense and perfume, and burning it is the older form. The essential oil is the same material in a form that suits diffusers and blends.

Is frankincense the same as Thus?

The Old English Herbals gives Thus as the resin called Frankincense in English, so the two names refer to the same material. Thus is simply the older term you will meet in medieval and early modern texts.

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Sources

• Frankincense — Wikipedia — Wikipedia contributors
• Alchemy Journal Vol.5 No.2 (book)
• Aromantic Catalogue 2009 10 (book)
• Witchcraft Detected & Prevented 1824 Unknown — Unknown (book)
• The Complete Herbal — Nicholas Culpeper (historical text)
• The Old English Herbals — Eleanour Sinclair Rohde (historical text)

Knowledge version 0.7.0 of the JARVIS Spiritual Herbs, Oils & Traditional Practice capability. Traditional and spiritual practice only — not medical advice.