Frankincense’s sibling, darker and earthier. A resin used for millennia, and it holds its own in both skincare and winding-down routines.
This one is also available as a pre-diluted roll-on. For getting started and for carrying in a bag that is the simplest form: there is no carrier oil to mix, and it cannot spill.
Where it comes from
Plant part used: resin. Extraction method: steam distillation. Typical origin: Somalia, Ethiopia.
Steam distillation means that hot steam passing through the plant carries the volatile compounds with it. The steam is cooled, and the water and the oil separate on their own — the oil floats on top.
What it smells like
Aroma notes: deep, smoky, balsamic, faintly bitter.
If you are meeting it for the first time, do not sniff straight into the bottle. Hold it a few centimetres from your nose and waft the aroma towards you — that way the stronger oils will not hit you, and you will pick up the finer notes too.
How people use it
- One drop in a facial oil in the evening.
- In the diffuser with frankincense.
- Diluted on the nape of the neck before meditation.
- One drop in hand cream in winter.
Recipes
The ratios are worked out, and one drop is roughly five hundredths of a millilitre. Where a companion oil is listed, feel free to swap it for whatever you have at home — the drop counts stay the same.
Bedtime foot oil
What you get: 10 ml, about two weeks’ worth.
- Fill a 10 ml bottle with fractionated coconut oil, roughly up to the shoulder.
- Add 4 drops of Myrrh — that is a two per cent blend.
- Close it and turn it over a few times.
- Before bed, massage some into the soles of your feet and pull on socks.
The skin on the soles is thick, which makes it one of the gentlest places to apply oil. For a child, half the drops is plenty.
Palm blend for a deep breath
What you get: 5 ml, lasts a long time.
- Put fractionated coconut oil into a 5 ml bottle.
- Add 2 drops of Myrrh and 1 drop of Guaiacwood.
- Put a little in your palm and rub it in.
- Hold it in front of your face and take three slow, deep breaths with your eyes closed.
This is the quickest way for an aroma to actually reach you — diffusing is slow by comparison.
Evening face oil
What you get: 30 ml, one to two months.
- Measure jojoba or sweet almond oil into a 30 ml dark glass bottle.
- Add 6 drops of Myrrh — one per cent, which is the sensible amount for a face.
- After cleansing in the evening, put 3–4 drops in your palm.
- Press it onto slightly damp skin rather than rubbing it in.
Patch test a new blend behind your ear or on your inner arm first, and wait a day.
What to pair it with
These suit the same situations, so they sit well together in a blend:
- Guaiacwood — shared topic: Inner calm
- ʻIliahi (Hawaiian Sandalwood) — shared topic: Inner calm
- Copaiba — shared topic: Inner calm
Safety and storage
Avoid during pregnancy.
In dark glass, somewhere cool, tightly closed. Heat, light and air all age it: citrus oils keep for roughly one to two years, woods and resins for years. It does not need to go in the fridge, but the bathroom windowsill is the worst place for it.
Questions
How much should I use?
For adults, daily whole-body use usually works out at around two per cent: that is roughly twelve drops in thirty millilitres of carrier oil. For sensitive skin and for children, considerably less. The dilution helper on the home page works out the number of drops for your bottle.
What should I dilute it with?
Fractionated coconut oil is the easiest, because it stays liquid, has no scent of its own and does not go rancid. Sweet almond, jojoba and grapeseed oil are good choices too. Essential oil does not mix with water, so for a bath always disperse it in something fatty or in salt first.
What should I watch out for with this oil?
Avoid during pregnancy.
How long does it keep?
In dark glass, somewhere cool, tightly closed. Heat, light and air all age it: citrus oils keep for roughly one to two years, woods and resins for years. It does not need to go in the fridge, but the bathroom windowsill is the worst place for it.
