Frankincense Essential Oil: Uses, Blends and Safety

Frankincense has been burned in temples and homes for thousands of years. The essential oil brings that warm, resinous scent into a diffuser without the smoke. Here is what it is, how to use it, and how to use it safely.

November 2, 2026 · 8 min read

Most essential oils come from leaves, flowers or peel. Frankincense comes from a cut in a tree. Harvesters score the bark of a Boswellia tree, a milky sap seeps out, and over a couple of weeks it hardens in the dry air into pale, glassy lumps called tears. Those tears are the frankincense of history, and they are what the essential oil is distilled from.

The oil smells nothing like a flower. It is spicy, earthy and a little lemony, with a fresh, pine-like lift over a warm, resinous base. It is the scent many people reach for when they want a room to feel quiet.

The short version

Frankincense essential oil is distilled from the hardened resin of the Boswellia tree. Our label names it Boswellia carterii.
Its fresh, lemony-pine top note comes mostly from α-pinene and limonene, molecules also found in pine needles and citrus peel.
It is not phototoxic: it won’t make your skin burn more easily in the sun.
Don’t use it neat. Dilute it for skin, and keep the cap tight, because old, oxidized frankincense is much more likely to irritate.
Look for an oil that names its Boswellia species and tells you where the resin comes from.

What Frankincense Essential Oil Is

Frankincense comes from Boswellia, a small group of tough, papery-barked trees that grow in the dry, rocky hills of the Horn of Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula. They grow where little else will, on cliffs and in thin soil, and some stand leafless for part of the year, waiting out the drought.

Milky white frankincense resin seeping from a cut in the papery bark of a Boswellia tree

The tears are gathered by hand and sorted by size and color. To make the essential oil, the resin is distilled: heat carries its lighter aromatic molecules away as vapor, and as the vapor cools they collect as oil. Everything heavy, including the gummy part of the resin, stays behind.

Ours is distilled from fine-grade Boswellia carterii resin, harvested under fair-trade practices from a Somaliland source with better traceability, and every lot of resin is inspected in the U.S. Good resin has a bright, silvery yellow-brown tone. Darker, flecked or solvent-cut resin, which is behind a lot of today’s frankincense, makes a duller oil.

A pile of pale golden frankincense resin tears

Why the label says Boswellia carterii

There are several kinds of frankincense, and they don’t smell alike. Boswellia carterii, the name on our bottle, is the classic frankincense of Somalia. Many botanists now treat it as the same species as Boswellia sacra, the frankincense of Oman, so you will see both names. Other oils come from Boswellia frereana, serrata or papyrifera, and each has its own scent. Whatever you buy, the label should name the species. “Frankincense oil” on its own doesn’t tell you which tree it came from.

Is Frankincense Photosensitive?

No. Frankincense oil isn’t phototoxic. Phototoxic oils contain furocoumarins, compounds that react with sunlight on the skin and can cause redness, blistering or dark patches that last for months. They show up mainly in cold-pressed citrus oils such as bergamot, lime and bitter orange, which is why those carry real sun limits. Frankincense doesn’t contain them.

The sun note on our product pages is a general caution we give for every oil. Frankincense itself isn’t known to cause sun reactions.

Can You Use Frankincense Oil Neat?

We don’t recommend it. “Neat” means straight from the bottle onto skin, and you will find a lot of advice online to do exactly that with frankincense. Fresh frankincense is one of the gentler oils, but there is a catch: the α-pinene and limonene that give it its bright top note react with air over time. As the oil oxidizes, it becomes much more likely to irritate skin or trigger an allergy, and once your skin is sensitized, it can react every time you use the oil.

Diluting keeps the dose low, and that’s what protects you from a reaction you can’t undo. For the body, about 1 to 2% is plenty: 6 to 12 drops in 30 ml (1 oz) of a carrier oil such as jojoba or sweet almond. Use half that on the face, keep it away from the eyes, and try a small patch on your inner arm first.

What It Smells Like, and What It Blends With

Frankincense is spicy and earthy, slightly fruity, with a fresh, lemony-pine lift over warm, resinous depth. It is the backbone of a lot of incense, and in a diffuser it does something useful: bright oils like citrus fade fast on their own, and frankincense gives them something to hold on to.

A few diffuser blends to try, in drops for a standard water diffuser:

Quiet morning: 3 drops frankincense, 2 drops Lavender
Bright and grounded: 2 drops frankincense, 3 drops Bergamot
Warm citrus: 2 drops frankincense, 3 drops Blood Orange
Two resins: 2 drops frankincense, 2 drops Elemi
Forest walk: 2 drops frankincense, 2 drops Cypress (more in our cypress guide)

How to Use Frankincense Essential Oil

In a diffuser

Start with 3 to 5 drops in the water reservoir. Frankincense is a natural fit for meditation, yoga, prayer or a slow start to the day: it gives you the scent of burning resin without smoke in the room. Diffuse for 30 to 60 minutes at a time rather than all day, in a room with some airflow.

As a personal scent

Frankincense makes a warm, quiet personal scent that suits anyone. For a body oil, stir 6 drops into 30 ml (1 oz) of jojoba. For a roll-on, add 4 drops to a 10 ml roller bottle and top it up with jojoba, which works out to about 2%. Apply to the wrists or the back of the neck, not the face.

In a homemade room spray

For a soft, incense-like scent in a living room or entryway, mix in a 100 ml (about 3.4 oz) glass spray bottle:

About 90 ml distilled water
About 10 ml witch hazel or high-proof vodka (it helps the oil disperse)
10 drops frankincense and 10 drops bergamot or blood orange

Shake well before every spray, since oil and water separate. Mist into the air rather than onto people or pets, and test on a hidden spot before spraying fabric.

Chaé Frankincense Essential Oil in a blue 5 ml bottle on a stone ledge beside a small dish of golden frankincense resin

What about the health claims you see online?

Frankincense attracts some of the biggest claims on the internet. Much of the research behind them is on boswellic acids, compounds in the resin that are studied in extracts and supplements. Boswellic acids are far too heavy to come through in distillation, so they aren’t in the essential oil in any meaningful amount. In the U.S., an oil sold to treat a health problem is regulated as a drug; ours is sold for its scent, and we don’t make health claims for it. If you are managing a health condition, talk with your doctor.

Using It Safely

Frankincense is one of the gentler oils, but gentle is not the same as harmless. A few simple habits keep it pleasant:

Dilute for skin, every time. See the dilution guide above.
Keep it fresh. Tight cap, cool and dark. Once opened, use it within about one to two years. If it starts to smell sharp, thin or like turpentine, replace it, because that’s oxidation.
Don’t swallow it. A bottle of essential oil is for the diffuser, the room spray and well-diluted skin use.
Eyes and sensitive areas: keep it away from the eyes, inner ears and broken skin.
Children: keep the bottle out of reach, and check with your pediatrician before using any essential oil on or near babies and toddlers.
Pets: cats process essential oils poorly. Keep diffusing brief around cats, in a ventilated room they can leave, and never put oils on a pet’s skin or fur.
Pregnancy and medical care: check with your doctor if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or under a doctor’s care.

How to Choose a Good Frankincense Oil

A few things on the label tell you a lot:

The species: Boswellia carterii, sacra, serrata, frereana or papyrifera. Each smells different, and a good label names one.
Where the resin comes from: frankincense trees are under real pressure. A 2019 study of Boswellia papyrifera, one of the main frankincense trees, found that most of the forests it surveyed were barely regenerating and projected that their frankincense production could halve within 20 years. Traceable, fair-trade resin is worth looking for.
One ingredient: frankincense oil and nothing else, unless the label says it is pre-diluted.
Dark glass: light and air break oils down. A clear plastic bottle is a red flag.
Independent standards: our oils are Grade A, Certified ToxicFree® and Leaping Bunny certified. Here is what ToxicFree® certification means.

The Bottom Line

Frankincense is the quiet oil: warm, resinous and calming to be around, and one of the best partners for bright citrus in a blend. It isn’t phototoxic, but it isn’t for neat use either. Dilute it, keep the bottle fresh and tightly capped, and it will give you the feel of temple incense without any smoke.

FAQ: Frankincense Essential Oil

Is frankincense oil photosensitive?

No. Frankincense doesn’t contain furocoumarins, the compounds that make some citrus oils phototoxic, so it won’t make skin burn more easily in the sun.

Can I use frankincense oil neat on my skin?

We don’t recommend it. Oxidized frankincense can irritate or sensitize skin, and a sensitized reaction can come back every time you use it. Dilute to about 1 to 2% for the body, half that for the face.

What does frankincense essential oil smell like?

Spicy and earthy, slightly fruity, with a fresh, lemony-pine top over warm, resinous depth. Think of incense without the smoke.

What’s the difference between Boswellia carterii and Boswellia sacra?

Many botanists now treat them as the same species: carterii is the name long used for Somali frankincense, sacra for the frankincense of Oman. Our label says Boswellia carterii.

Is frankincense oil safe to diffuse around pets?

Be careful, especially with cats. Diffuse only briefly, in a ventilated room your pet can leave, and never apply oils to a pet. Ask your vet if your pet has breathing problems.

How long does frankincense essential oil last?

Kept tightly capped, cool and out of the light, about one to two years after opening. If it smells sharp or like turpentine, it has oxidized and it’s time for a fresh bottle.

Sources

Tisserand R, Young R. Essential Oil Safety: A Guide for Health Care Professionals, 2nd edition. Churchill Livingstone / Elsevier, 2014.
Bongers F, Groenendijk P, Bekele T, et al. “Frankincense in peril.” Nature Sustainability 2, 602–610 (2019).
Tisserand Institute — Does frankincense oil contain boswellic acid?
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew — Plants of the World Online: Boswellia sacra Flück.
ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center — guidance on essential oils and cats.
U.S. Food & Drug Administration — Aromatherapy.
National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy — Safety Guidelines.

Product spotlight

Every Chaé essential oil is 100% pure, Grade A, Certified ToxicFree® and Leaping Bunny certified, with the plant named on the label. Start with frankincense, then add a bright partner.