Frankincense (Boswellia carterii)
A warm, resinous single oil steam-distilled from tree resin, often considered the anchor of a serious collection.
How to use it
3–5 drops as a grounding base note; pairs well with lavender or orange for an evening blend.
Dilute 1–3% in a carrier oil — a common finishing note in facial serums and moisturizers.
Safety in detail
- Phototoxic
- No
- For topical use, dilute in a carrier oil (1–3%).
- Keep out of reach of children.
- The distilled oil does not contain the boswellic acids found in the whole resin — see the note below.
Sources: Al-Kharousi et al. (2023), Foods
Composition & chemistry
Aggregated from 16 GC-MS samples across 7 peer-reviewed open-access studies (2012–2025). Figures are the distribution across those samples — median with interquartile range — not a single reading.
- Monoterpene hydrocarbon 90.8%
- Unclassified 4%
- Sesquiterpene hydrocarbon 3.9%
- Oxygenated monoterpene 1.3%
| Constituent | Median | Typical range | Max | Detected in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| α-pinene ↗ C10H16 | 38.3% | 12.3–49.0% | 70.9% | |
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| limonene ↗ C10H16 | 6.7% | 5.3–12.3% | 15.9% | |
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| myrcene ↗ C10H16 | 4.5% | 3.5–5.0% | 5.0% | |
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| p-cymene ↗ C10H14 | 4.2% | 2.3–4.5% | 7.3% | |
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| α-phellandrene ↗ C10H16 | 3.2% | 2.0–4.3% | 5.5% | |
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| α-thujene ↗ C10H16 | 3.0% | 1.8–3.7% | 8.6% | |
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| sabinene ↗ C10H16 | 2.8% | 2.3–3.9% | 5.1% | |
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| linalool ↗ C10H18O | 2.5% | 1.4–5.1% | 7.6% | |
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| β-pinene ↗ C10H16 | 2.1% | 1.9–3.0% | 4.9% | |
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| β-elemene ↗ C15H24 | 0.5% | 0.4–3.1% | 5.6% | |
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+ 38 more compounds reported across the dataset.
7 peer-reviewed sources behind these figures
- Johnson S, DeCarlo A, Satyal P, Dosoky NS, Sorensen A, Setzer WN. (2019). Organic Certification is Not Enough: The Case of the Methoxydecane Frankincense. Plants (Basel, Switzerland).
- Ni X, Suhail MM, Yang Q, Cao A, Fung KM, Postier RG, Woolley C, Young G, Zhang J, Lin HK. (2012). Frankincense essential oil prepared from hydrodistillation of Boswellia sacra gum resins induces human pancreatic cancer cell death in cultures and in a xenograft murine model. BMC complementary and alternative medicine.
- Alhelfi N, Al-Edany ZTY, Altemimi AB, Ruan Z, Tlay RH, Abedelmaksoud TG. (2025). Functional Beverages From Frankincense and <i>Pistacia atlantica</i>: A Natural Synbiotic Strategy for Managing Hyperlipidemia and Modulating Gut Microbiota. Food science & nutrition.
- Obiștioiu D, Hulea A, Cocan I, Alexa E, Negrea M, Popescu I, Herman V, Imbrea IM, Heghedus-Mindru G, Suleiman MA, Radulov I, Imbrea F. (2023). Boswellia Essential Oil: Natural Antioxidant as an Effective Antimicrobial and Anti-Inflammatory Agent. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland).
- Schmiech M, Ulrich J, Lang SJ, Büchele B, Paetz C, St-Gelais A, Syrovets T, Simmet T. (2021). 11-Keto-α-Boswellic Acid, a Novel Triterpenoid from Boswellia spp. with Chemotaxonomic Potential and Antitumor Activity against Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland).
- Baeten J, Deforce K, Challe S, De Vos D, Degryse P. (2014). Holy smoke in medieval funerary rites: chemical fingerprints of frankincense in southern Belgian incense burners. PloS one.
- Chen Y, Zhou C, Ge Z, Liu Y, Liu Y, Feng W, Li S, Chen G, Wei T. (2013). Composition and potential anticancer activities of essential oils obtained from myrrh and frankincense. Oncology letters.
Every figure above traces to a named table in one of these open-access papers. How this was built →
- Limonene — a light citrus terpene with antioxidant activity reported in vitro Shah et al. (2018), Asian J. of Pharmacy and Pharmacology
It has one of the longest documented histories of any aromatic material.
What the research says
An honest read of the published research — what has actually been studied, at what stage. Not medical advice or a promise of results.
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Boswellic acids from frankincense resin have been widely studied for anti-inflammatory activity — but these are large, non-volatile molecules that stay in the resin and are largely absent from the steam-distilled essential oil. Claims about the oil should not be assumed from resin research.
Efferth & Oesch (2011/2022), Forum on Immunopathological Diseases and Therapeutics -
Frankincense oil has shown antimicrobial activity against foodborne bacteria in laboratory testing — an in-vitro finding, not a health claim.
Al-Kharousi et al. (2023), Foods
Evidence & sources
Peer-reviewed research on Frankincense's chemistry and safety. These describe composition and documented effects — not health or treatment claims.
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Steam-distilled frankincense oil is dominated by α-pinene, with limonene and α-thujene as notable secondary constituents.
Al-Harrasi et al. (2025), Food Science & Nutrition Technology -
The much-discussed boswellic acids are resin constituents, not volatile oil constituents — an important honesty point for frankincense oil.
Efferth & Oesch (2011/2022), Forum on Immunopathological Diseases and Therapeutics
Frequently asked questions
Does frankincense essential oil contain boswellic acids?
Largely no. Boswellic acids are heavy molecules that remain in the resin; the steam-distilled essential oil is mostly α-pinene and other light terpenes. Most boswellic-acid research is done on resin extracts, not the oil. Efferth & Oesch (2011/2022), Forum on Immunopathological Diseases and Therapeutics
Is frankincense oil phototoxic?
No — it isn't a citrus oil and carries no phototoxic coumarins. Still dilute it for skin use, typically 1–3% in a carrier oil.
What does frankincense smell like?
Warm, woody, and balsamic with a fresh, piney top note from its high α-pinene content, plus a faint citrus lift from limonene. Al-Harrasi et al. (2025), Food Science & Nutrition Technology
Gallery
Frankincense (Boswellia carterii, sometimes labeled B. sacra) has one of the longest documented histories of any aromatic material, used in incense, embalming, and ceremonial contexts across the ancient Mediterranean, Middle East, and North Africa for thousands of years. Young Living’s oil is distilled from resin tapped from Boswellia trees growing in arid regions of Somalia and Oman, where harvesters cut the bark and let the sap harden into resin “tears” before collection.
Extraction & Character
The hardened resin is steam-distilled — a slow, deliberate process that mirrors the oil’s warm, woody-balsamic character. Alpha-pinene is typically the most abundant compound, giving a fresh, piney top note, while limonene adds a light citrus nuance and alpha-thujene rounds out the profile; exact proportions shift meaningfully across Boswellia species. It’s often the oil people reach for once they’ve moved past a basic starter kit, valued for its depth and versatility across both diffusing and skin-care use.
Traditional & Everyday Uses
In the diffuser: 3–5 drops works as a grounding base note, especially well-paired with lavender or orange for an evening blend, or with cedarwood and sandalwood for a deeper, more meditative combination.
On skin: diluted to 1–3% in a carrier oil, frankincense is a common addition to facial serums and moisturizers, where its resinous character is prized as a finishing note in a skin-care routine focused on a smooth, even-looking complexion — a cosmetic benefit rather than a medical one.
Pairs Well With
Lavender and orange for an accessible everyday blend; myrrh and elemi for a fuller resin-forward trio; sandalwood for added creaminess.
A Note on Quality
Boswellia species and resin grade vary enormously across suppliers, and frankincense is one of the most commonly adulterated oils on the market given how labor-intensive genuine resin harvesting is. This is a strong reason to source from a company that documents its supply chain — resin origin, species, and distillation time all meaningfully affect the final aroma and quality — rather than buying an unlabeled bottle at a discount.
Found in these blends
Frankincense is one of the oils inside 32 Young Living blends.