What does frankincense smell like? The scent of ancient temples

Frankincense is one of the oldest perfumes in the world. Long before bottles and atomisers, people burned it on hot coals and let the smoke carry their prayers upward. It was offered to gods in Egypt, traded across the deserts of Arabia and carried as a gift by the Magi in the Christian nativity story. Today it is the backbone of "incense" notes in modern perfume, and it still smells sacred.

What does it smell like?

Frankincense is bright, clean and resinous, with a smoky, spiritual depth. It is often less heavy than people expect. You might notice:

• Citrus: a fresh, lemony sparkle, especially in the opening
• Pine and resin: a sharp, piney, sap-like freshness
• Smoke: the cool, dry smoke of a church or temple
• Mineral: a stony, almost peppery coolness
• Balsam: a soft, slightly sweet, warm resin in the drydown

Many people describe frankincense as "the smell of church". That is because it is still burned in many Christian services, and in temples and homes across the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

Where it comes from

Frankincense is a dried resin, or sap, from trees in the genus Boswellia. In perfumery it is also called olibanum. The main species include:

• Boswellia sacra, from southern Arabia (especially the Dhofar region of Oman) and Somalia. Trees once listed as Boswellia carterii are now usually treated as the same species.
• Boswellia frereana, from northern Somalia.
• Boswellia papyrifera, from Ethiopia, Eritrea and Sudan.
• Boswellia serrata, from India.

The trees grow in hot, dry, rocky places where little else survives. The Horn of Africa supplies most of the world's frankincense today, around 90% by some estimates.

How it's made

Frankincense is harvested by tapping. Workers cut small wounds into the bark. The tree bleeds a milky sap to seal the wound. Over days and weeks, the sap hardens in the air into pale, tear-shaped lumps of resin. These are scraped off, sorted by hand and graded by colour, size and purity. Trees are usually tapped a few times a year, and later harvests are often prized.

For perfume, the resin is turned into:

1. Essential oil. Steam-distilled from the resin. It is fresh, lemony and piney.
2. Resinoid or absolute. Made with solvents. It is deeper, warmer and more balsamic.
3. CO2 extract. Made with pressurised carbon dioxide, often described as rich and true to the raw resin.

The fresh side of frankincense comes from light molecules such as alpha-pinene and limonene, the same families found in pine and citrus. Heavier compounds add the warm, balsamic depth.

A short history of frankincense

Frankincense has been traded for thousands of years.

• Ancient Egypt: Egyptians burned frankincense in temples and used it in embalming. Queen Hatshepsut, who ruled in the 15th century BCE, sent a famous expedition to the land of Punt, probably in the Horn of Africa region, to bring back incense-bearing trees.
• The incense routes: Camel caravans carried frankincense from southern Arabia north to Egypt, the Levant and the Mediterranean. Ports and oasis towns grew rich on the trade. In 2000, UNESCO listed Oman's Land of Frankincense, including ancient trees, a caravan oasis and old trading ports, as a World Heritage Site.
• Greece and Rome: Greek and Roman writers, including Herodotus and Pliny the Elder, wrote about frankincense and its Arabian source. It was burned in vast amounts in temples and at funerals.
• Religion: The Hebrew Bible describes frankincense as part of a holy incense blend. In the Gospel of Matthew, the Magi bring gold, frankincense and myrrh to the infant Jesus. It is still used in many churches today.
• Arabia today: In Oman and across the Gulf, frankincense is still burned at home to welcome guests and scent clothes.

Frankincense in modern perfume

For most of the 20th century, frankincense was a background note in Western perfume, adding depth to ambers and orientals. That changed around the turn of the 21st century, when "incense" perfumes became a niche trend.

Comme des Garçons led the way with its Incense series in 2002. Avignon, created by Bertrand Duchaufour, aimed to capture the smell of a cathedral, with cool incense smoke, resins and woods. It is still seen as a benchmark.

The Omani house Amouage, founded in the 1980s, also made frankincense a signature, drawing on Oman's own resin heritage. In 2007, Chanel released Coromandel in its Les Exclusifs line, a rich blend of frankincense, patchouli and benzoin by Jacques Polge.

Sustainability: a resin under pressure

Frankincense faces real problems. Many wild Boswellia populations are in decline. Studies point to several causes:

• Over-tapping: Heavily tapped trees grow weaker and produce far fewer healthy seeds. One study found seeds from heavily tapped trees germinated at only around 16%, compared with over 80% for untapped trees.
• Grazing and fire: Livestock eat young seedlings, and fires damage trees.
• Pests: Longhorn beetles attack weakened trees.
• Land clearing: Farming takes over woodland.

A 2019 study predicted that Boswellia papyrifera, the source of a large share of the world's frankincense, could see its numbers halve within about two decades. Some brands and suppliers now work on traceable sourcing, fair pay for harvesters and replanting. If this matters to you, look for brands that explain where their frankincense comes from.

What frankincense pairs well with

• Myrrh: its ancient partner, warmer and more bitter.
• Citrus: makes frankincense bright and airy.
• Woods: cedar, sandalwood and oud give a deep, smoky frame.
• Rose: a rich, spiritual pairing popular in Middle Eastern perfume.
• Pepper and spice: add a dry, crackling edge.
• Vanilla and benzoin: soften and warm the smoke.

Perfumes to try

• Avignon by Comme des Garçons (2002): incense, elemi, chamomile and resins. Cool, smoky and cathedral-like.
• Coromandel by Chanel: frankincense with patchouli and benzoin. Rich and smooth.
• Interlude Man by Amouage: frankincense, oregano and amber with smoky woods and leather. Intense and dramatic.
• Pomegranate Noir by Jo Malone London (2005): olibanum with pomegranate, plum and patchouli. Dark but approachable.
• Portrait of a Lady by Frédéric Malle: deep rose and patchouli with incense in the base. Lush and memorable.

How to wear frankincense

• Light frankincense blends are surprisingly fresh and work year-round.
• Heavier, smoky incense perfumes suit cooler weather and evenings.
• Try it on skin. The citrus opening and smoky drydown can feel like two different perfumes.
• If incense feels too "churchy", look for blends with citrus or rose to lift it.

Who will love it

People who like calm, meditative, smoky scents. If you enjoy woody perfumes, oud or anything with a spiritual, quiet feel, frankincense is a natural fit. It also suits anyone who wants something different from sweet or floral perfumes.