Frankincense vs Myrrh: Scent, Differences and Uses

Frankincense and myrrh are frequently paired together. They’re both aromatic tree resins, but the differences are between the two are striking. Frankincense is brighter, citrusy-piney and resinous. Myrrh is deeper, earthy, and warm. This guide compares how each smells, their differences, and how to use them in candles.

Frankincense or myrrh: every maker building a resinous holiday scent hits this fork eventually. Both are aromatic tree resins tapped from scrubby trees that thrive in cracked, dry terrain across the Arabian Peninsula and Horn of Africa, and burned side by side, the difference is obvious.

Frankincense smells bright, citrusy-piney, and resinous, it’s the kind of scent that clears a room. Myrrh sits lower and slower: deep, earthy, warm, with a honeyed edge that lingers. Perfumers and candle makers have paired the two for centuries because one lifts the other. Below, we break down what each resin actually smells like, how frankincense vs myrrh stacks up side by side, and how to translate both into a candle that throws instead of politely existing on a shelf.

What Frankincense Is and How It Smells

Frankincense comes from the sap of Boswellia trees, harvested by scoring the bark and letting the resin weep out and harden into amber colors. Once dried, the amber gets burned as incense or steam distilled into oil, sometimes labeled by its older trade name, olibanum. The scent is where frankincense earns its reputation: bright top notes of citrus and pine needle over a warm, slightly peppery resinous base. It reads clean and lifted rather than heavy, which is why it shows up in spa blends, meditation spaces, and winter candle lines built for warmth without density. In a fragrance blend, frankincense usually sits close to the middle, bright enough to stay forward but grounded enough to anchor woodier notes underneath it.

What Myrrh Is and How It Smells

Myrrh is also a tree resin, tapped from Commiphora trees that grow in the same rugged, arid regions as frankincense. The two are frequently harvested and traded side by side, part of why they end up paired in candles and incense so often. Where frankincense goes bright, myrrh goes dark. Expect deep, earthy, smoky sweetness with a warm, honeyed undertone and none of the citrus lift. It reads older and heavier, the resin equivalent of a low, steady flame instead of a spark. Myrrh typically works as a base note, the kind of scent that arrives last and stays longest, giving a blend weight and staying power long after the brighter notes have faded.

Frankincense vs Myrrh: Side by Side

Put them next to each other and you can see the differences clearly.

 

Neither resin is objectively better. Frankincense gives a blend lift. Myrrh gives it depth. Together they build the kind of layered, resinous scent neither one pulls off alone, which is exactly why nearly every classic warm-resin candle on the market leans on both.

Using Them in Candles

Raw resin and essential oils are not the same thing as candle fragrance oils, and that distinction decides whether a frankincense and myrrh candle actually smells like anything once it's burning. Resin oils are heat sensitive, so if you push raw frankincense or myrrh oil through a hot wax pour, the delicate top notes that make each resin recognizable break down before the candle ever sets. We cover this point in more depth in our own fragrance oils vs essential oils guide. Fragrance oils built specifically for candle making survive that heat and still throw once the wax cools, both in the melt pool and out into the room. That's the difference between a candle you catch from the doorway and one you have to press your nose against.

TFC's Frankincense & Myrrh Fragrance Oil is built to balance warm dry woods, patchouli, and balsam for texture, myrrh and olibanum layered in for depth, and a lingering base of Arabian musk and sandalwood that softens the whole thing. It tests strong in both candle and room scenting applications, and TFC rates it for use at up to 10% in candles and tarts and up to 50% in room scenting projects like reed diffusers or simmer pots, giving you real room to dial the intensity up or down. One number worth flagging before you pour: at a flashpoint of 196°F, keep your fragrance addition below your wax manufacturer's recommended pour temperature, and check it against the spec sheet if you're working a formulation outside standard soy or paraffin ranges.

Building your own blend from scratch takes restraint. Start around the low end of that 10% candle usage rate, since resin-forward scents turn heavy fast, and test each batch before committing to a full pour. If you want frankincense's brightness louder in the final blend, layer in a small amount of a straight pine or cedar fragrance oil alongside your base blend. If myrrh's depth is what you're chasing, a touch of patchouli or amber does the same job in the other direction.

Our scent throw guide covers getting a stronger, more even burn once you've picked your fragrance load, and our aromatherapy scents guide maps out where frankincense and myrrh sit in the wider warm-scent family. New to candle making entirely? Our candle making guide is the place to start before you commit a batch of wax to a resin blend.

FAQ

What's the difference between frankincense and myrrh?

Frankincense and myrrh are both aromatic tree resins, but they smell distinct. Frankincense is bright, citrusy-piney, and resinous, usually reading as a middle note. Myrrh is deeper: earthy, smoky-sweet, and warm, typically working as a base note. Frankincense lifts a blend, myrrh anchors it, and together they build the classic warm-resin scent.

Does frankincense or myrrh smell better?

Neither wins outright. It comes down to what you want the scent to do. Frankincense suits brighter, spa-style or meditative blends since it reads clean and lifted. Myrrh suits heavier, ceremonial or wintery scents built for depth. Most makers use both together, since frankincense's lift and myrrh's weight balance each other out.

Can you blend frankincense and myrrh?

Yes, and it's the classic pairing. Frankincense and myrrh have been blended for centuries because their profiles complement rather than compete: frankincense brightens the top, myrrh anchors the base. In candle making, start with a resin-forward fragrance oil built for that combination and test small batches before scaling to a full pour.

Are frankincense and myrrh good candle scents?

Yes, especially as fragrance oil rather than raw resin or essential oil. Resin oils are heat sensitive and break down during a hot wax pour, losing the notes that make them recognizable. Fragrance oil formulated for candles survives that heat, giving a stronger scent throw in the melt pool and once the candle is burning.

Ready to Pour?

Ready to test it yourself? Shop frankincense fragrance oil, myrrh fragrance oil, and the full warm-resin fragrance collection built to survive the pour and throw once they're lit.