Boswellia (frankincense) in cosmetics

Q: Is frankincense allergenic?

Cases of contact allergy exist with Boswellia carterii oil and with a Boswellia serrata extract, with no frequency data. A tolerance test on the finished product is recommended.

Boswellia refers to olibanum, the gum resin exudate of Boswellia carterii and related species7. It is made of resin acids, their esters and terpenes7. It is named in neither Annex II nor Annex III of the EU regulation8 9. Cosmetic evidence is thin: a single small clinical trial, on an extract of another species (B. serrata)1 2.

Mohamed El HjoujiFounder and CEO · Updated November 3, 2026 · Reading time 8 min

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Boswellia at a glance

Entry from our cosmetic ingredient glossary. Regulatory data from the European Commission's CosIng database7, Regulation (EU) 2023/15458 and the consolidated Regulation (EC) No 1223/20099. Copy the identifiers in one click for your files.

INCI name: BOSWELLIA CARTERII GUMRefers to the raw gum resin. CosIng also lists BOSWELLIA CARTERII GUM EXTRACT, GUM OIL, GUM ABSOLUTE, GUM WATER and OLIBANUM (CAS 8050-07-5, EC 232-474-1)7. The INCI name of Boswellia serrata extract was not checked here
Other names: Olibanum, frankincenseOlibanum; frankincense7
CAS number: 89957-98-2Raw gum resin: CosIng specifies that the entry is generic7. The gum is also linked to CAS 8016-36-2 for the extract and the absolute7
EC number: 289-620-2Extracts and the absolute are also linked to EC 232-474-17
Botanical origin: Boswellia carterii (Burseraceae), synonyms cited: B. sacra, B. frereanaCosIng: exudate of the tree, several commercial varieties exist7. A chemistry study concludes that B. carterii (Somalia) and B. sacra (Oman and Yemen) are two distinct species3
Composition: Resin acids and esters, terpenesCosIng definition of the raw gum7. B. carterii essential oil contains, among others, 37.3% α-pinene, 7.9% α-thujene and 7.3% myrcene (B. sacra: 68.2% α-pinene)3. At least three B. carterii chemotypes: α-pinene-rich, α-thujene-rich or methoxydecane-rich4
CosIng functions: Fragrance (raw gum)"Perfuming" for the gum and the oil; "Hair conditioning", "Nail conditioning", "Skin conditioning" and "Perfuming" for the extract; "Fragrance" and "Skin conditioning" for olibanum7
EU status: No line in Annexes II and IIINeither the gum resin, the oil nor olibanum is named in Regulation (EU) 2023/15458 or in the consolidated regulation9. CosIng shows no restriction7. As the oil is rich in α-pinene, a substance named at line 371, its rules apply as a constituent: to be confirmed with your regulatory manager
Allergen to declare: No obligation specific to the materialPinene (line 371) is declared above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products, with a peroxide value below 10 mmol/L8. Non-compliant products could be placed on the market until 31 July 2026 (deadline passed) and may remain available until 31 July 20288
Safety: Few data; contact allergy cases reportedNo CIR assessment reviewed. Contact allergy described with B. carterii oil5 and with a B. serrata extract in a cream6

What the research says

Each result shows the protocol and the level of evidence. The higher the level, the better the result carries over to a finished formula.

Clinical trialReview or consensusLaboratory

Species and compositionChemistry

Boswellia carterii and B. sacra, two distinct species

Laboratory

Oils from Somalia (B. carterii) and Oman or Yemen (B. sacra)GC and chiral GC-MS

α-Pinene averages 68.2% of B. sacra oil and 37.3% of B. carterii oil. Optical rotation (+30.1° versus −13.3°) and the enantiomeric ratio of α-pinene (8.24 versus 0.68) clearly separate the two species3.

At least three B. carterii chemotypes

Laboratory

42 gum resin oil compositionsHierarchical cluster analysis

A B. carterii oil can be α-pinene-rich, α-thujene-rich or methoxydecane-rich. The species name alone therefore does not guarantee the composition of a batch4.

Facial skinSkincare

Roughness and fine lines reduced on half the face

Clinical trial

Boswellic acids at 0.5% (B. serrata extract)30 days, one application a day15 womenDouble-blind, split-face, versus a cream without active

On the treated side, tactile roughness and fine lines decrease, elasticity increases and sebum secretion drops compared with the cream without active. The product is well tolerated. The trial is small and covers an extract of a different species from the one in the INCI entry2.

Limited clinical evidence

Review

2026 reviewPRISMA method

The review notes that clinical studies on topical formulas are limited by small sample sizes, short duration, heterogeneous methods and variability of species, extractions and formulas. It calls for better-designed trials and standardization1.

ToleranceToxicology

Contact allergies reported

Case reports

Two reported casesB. carterii oil; B. serrata extract in a cream

A contact allergy is described with Boswellia carterii oil5, and another with a Boswellia serrata extract contained in a naturopathic cream6. These are case presentations: they give no frequency.

This page summarizes published literature on a cosmetic ingredient. It does not describe the effect of a finished product, which depends on its formula, and it is not medical advice. Evidence is flagged by level: clinical trial, review or laboratory.

Which products can use boswellia?

No formula in our white label catalog features boswellia yet. Our formulation lab can add it to a custom formula or to a catalog formula. Its common uses:

Face

Fragrance and image ingredient of frankincense creams, masks and serums; the cosmetic clinical literature remains limited.

Body

Massage oils and balms scented with frankincense.

Hair

Fragrance of hair care, uncommon.

Boswellia, clove, wintergreen or camphor?

Four aromatic materials sometimes combined in the same care fragrance. Their regulatory status differs: check it before choosing.

	Boswellia	Clove	Wintergreen	Camphor
Substance named in Annex III	α-pinene and β-pinene, line 3718	Eugenol, line 719	Methyl salicylate, line 3249	Camphor, line 3318
Oil or resin named in Regulation (EU) 2023/1545	No: no line for Boswellia or frankincense8 9	Yes: Eugenia caryophyllus oil, line 3568	No: no line for Gaultheria8 9	Not applicable: a chemical substance is named8
Concentration limit	None for the material; peroxide value below 10 mmol/L for pinene8	None: declaration only8 9	Yes, by product: 0.002% to 2.52% methyl salicylate9	None: declaration only8

Frequently asked questions about boswellia

What is boswellia?

It is the gum resin exudate of trees of the Boswellia genus, called olibanum or frankincense; CosIng cites Boswellia carterii as the reference species7. It is made of resin acids, their esters and terpenes7.

What are the benefits of boswellia in cosmetics?

Evidence is limited. The only clinical trial we kept covers 15 women, 30 days and 0.5% boswellic acids from a B. serrata extract: it notes less roughness and fewer fine lines compared with a cream without active2. A 2026 review stresses the weakness of the clinical data1.

Olibanum, frankincense, boswellia: what is the difference?

They are common names for the same type of material: the gum resin of Boswellia. In INCI, the raw resin is BOSWELLIA CARTERII GUM and olibanum has its own entry, OLIBANUM7. The essential oil, the extract and the absolute have distinct INCI names7.

Boswellia serrata or Boswellia carterii?

They are two species. Cosmetic studies on boswellic acids cover B. serrata2, while the INCI in our glossary matches B. carterii7. The INCI of B. serrata extract should be checked in CosIng before any file.

Do I have to declare boswellia on the label?

The material appears in the ingredient list under its INCI name. It is not named in Annex III8 9, but the oil is rich in α-pinene, a named substance (line 371) that is declared above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products3 8. The declaration should be confirmed with your regulatory manager.

Is frankincense allergenic?

Cases of contact allergy exist with Boswellia carterii oil5 and with a Boswellia serrata extract6, with no frequency data. A tolerance test on the finished product is recommended.

Can you manufacture a boswellia product for my brand?

Boswellia is not a featured material in our catalog. Our ISO 22716 certified lab can study a custom formula, with a specified INCI and species. Samples of our catalog formulas are free.

Sources

Peer-reviewed studies and official regulatory sources, checked on November 3, 2026.

Alturki EA, Weckerle CS, Maake C, et al. Therapeutic potential of Boswellia-derived compounds in skin conditions. Front Pharmacol. 2026;17:1966705. doi:10.3389/fphar.2026.1966705
Pedretti A, Capezzera R, Zane C, Facchinetti E, Calzavara-Pinton P. Effects of topical boswellic acid on photo and age-damaged skin: clinical, biophysical, and echographic evaluations in a double-blind, randomized, split-face study. Planta Med. 2010;76(6):555-560. doi:10.1055/s-0029-1240581
Woolley CL, Suhail MM, Smith BL, et al. Chemical differentiation of Boswellia sacra and Boswellia carterii essential oils by gas chromatography and chiral gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. J Chromatogr A. 2012;1261:158-163. doi:10.1016/j.chroma.2012.06.073Young Living (affiliation d'un auteur)
DeCarlo A, Johnson S, Poudel A, et al. Chemical variation in essential oils from the oleo-gum resin of Boswellia carteri: a preliminary investigation. Chem Biodivers. 2018;15(6):e1800047. doi:10.1002/cbdv.201800047
Buonomo M, Hylwa S. Allergic contact dermatitis from Boswellia carterii (frankincense) oil. Contact Dermatitis. 2021;85(4):465-467. doi:10.1111/cod.13881
Acebo E, Ratón JA, Sautúa S, et al. Allergic contact dermatitis from Boswellia serrata extract in a naturopathic cream. Contact Dermatitis. 2004;51(2):91-92. doi:10.1111/j.0105-1873.2004.0396d.x
European Commission. CosIng, entry BOSWELLIA CARTERII GUM (CAS 89957-98-2, EC 289-620-2). ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing
Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 of 26 July 2023 amending Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards labelling of fragrance allergens in cosmetic products (Annex III). eur-lex.europa.eu
Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on cosmetic products, consolidated version of 1 May 2025 (Annexes II, III and VI). eur-lex.europa.eu

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