Myrrh Essential Oil

✦ Pure steam-distilled essential oil from Commiphora myrrha resin

✦ Warm, balsamic, smoky-resinous base note with deep longevity

✦ Natural fixative — extends the life of lighter notes in a blend

✦ Core ingredient in attar, mukhallat, bakhoor, and incense work

✦ Featured in oriental, amber, and church-incense fragrance styles

✦ Traditionally used in soothing balms, serums, and skincare

✦ 100% natural and vegan — no animal-derived inputs

Myrrh is the dried oleo-gum-resin of the Commiphora myrrha tree, native to the arid regions of Somalia, Ethiopia, Yemen, and the Arabian Peninsula. It is one of the oldest aromatic materials known, traded across the ancient incense routes and used in Egyptian embalming, temple incense, and traditional Arabian and Unani medicine. The essential oil is produced by steam distilling the hardened resin tears.

What makes myrrh special is its unique balsamic-smoky depth and its dual role as both a scent and a fixative. Few materials combine such a meditative, resinous character with the ability to hold and stabilise an entire composition. It bridges the gap between sweet ambers and dry woods, giving blends a sacred, antique warmth.

Rabibazaar supplies cosmetic-grade Myrrh Essential Oil suitable for attars, mukhallats, fine fragrance, bakhoor, incense, soaps, balms, and skincare formulations.

SCENT DESCRIPTION: Warm, balsamic, and resinous with a smoky, almost medicinal edge. There is a dry, antique quality reminiscent of old wood and sacred temple incense. Beneath the smoke sits a soft, sweet amber warmth that lingers for hours. The overall impression is meditative, earthy, and deeply grounding.

NOTE POSITION: Base

FRAGRANCE FAMILY: Resinous · Balsamic · Oriental

FACETS: Smoky · Balsamic · Earthy · Medicinal · Warm

TENACITY: Very High — 24+ hours on skin and blotter

SILLAGE: Medium — rich and present without being loud

Chemical Name : Commiphora myrrha resin oil

CAS Number : 8016-37-3

Synonyms : Myrrh oil, Oil of myrrh, Commiphora molmol oil

Purity % : 100% pure essential oil

Appearance : Pale yellow to amber-brown viscous liquid

Odor Threshold : Low — perceptible at trace levels

Solubility : Soluble in alcohol and oils; insoluble in water

Specific Gravity : Approx. 0.99 – 1.02 (verify with supplier CoA)

Flash Point : Approx. 93°C (verify with supplier CoA)

Type : Natural

Fine Fragrance ★★★★★

A classic resinous base note for oriental, amber, and woody perfumes. Adds antique warmth and acts as a natural fixative. Best used in small amounts to avoid dominating a blend.

Attar & Oriental Blending ★★★★★

Essential in mukhallat, bakhoor, and dehn-style compositions. Pairs naturally with oud, frankincense, rose, and sandalwood. Deep cultural relevance in Arabian and South Asian perfumery.

Functional Fragrance ★★★☆☆

Usable in premium soaps and balms but can darken pale bases. Best suited to amber, spice, and woody functional themes. Watch dosage for discoloration.

Cosmetics ★★★★☆

Traditionally used in soothing balms, salves, and mature-skin serums. Always pre-test for sensitivity and use within safe dermal limits. Adds a natural resinous scent to formulations.

Home Fragrance ★★★★☆

Excellent in incense, bakhoor, and resinous candle blends. Diffuses a warm, sacred ambience. May discolour pale wax and diffuser bases.

EDP : 1 – 8%

EDT : 1 – 5%

Body Lotion : 0.2 – 1%

Shampoo / Body Wash : 0.2 – 0.8%

Candle : 2 – 6%

Reed Diffuser : 2 – 8%

Soap : 0.5 – 2%

IFRA: Myrrh (Commiphora) is subject to IFRA Standards under the current Amendment, with category-specific limits for leave-on and rinse-off products.

⚠️ Always verify current IFRA 51st Amendment limits for your exact product category at ifrafragrance.org before finalising a formula.

⚠️ May cause discoloration in pale or white bases — test first.

Method 1 — Fixative Base: Add at 1–5% as a base anchor to extend the longevity of top and middle notes in oriental and woody blends.

Method 2 — Resin Accord: Combine myrrh with frankincense and benzoin to build a classic sacred-incense module for attars and bakhoor.

Method 3 — Skincare Infusion: Dilute into a carrier oil at low percentage for soothing balms and mature-skin serums after patch testing.

BEST PAIRINGS

Frankincense → Builds the classic sacred resin-incense accord

Oud → Deepens oriental and mukhallat compositions

Sandalwood → Adds creamy, smooth woody warmth

Rose → Softens and rounds the smoky resin edge

Amber / Benzoin→ Sweetens and amplifies the balsamic body

AVOID: Overdosing in fresh citrus or delicate floral blends, where its smoky depth can overwhelm.

Myrrh is one of those rare materials that feels ancient the moment it hits the strip — dry, smoky, and sacred, like the inside of an old temple. I treat it as both a scent and a structural tool, using it to give oriental and amber blends a meditative antique core that holds the whole composition together for hours.

ADVANCED TIP: Pre-blend myrrh with a touch of frankincense and a drop of labdanum at roughly 3:2:1, age the accord for two weeks, then dose this module into your base. The maturation rounds off myrrh's sharp medicinal top edge and yields a smoother, more refined resin foundation.

Physical State : Viscous liquid

Skin Safety : Dilute before skin use; patch test first

Eye Contact : Avoid; flush with water if exposed

Ingestion : Do not ingest

Ventilation : Use in a well-ventilated area

Storage : Cool, dark place away from heat and light

Shelf Life : 2 – 3 years if stored correctly

Container : Amber glass, tightly sealed

Flammability : Combustible — keep away from open flame

Q: What does Myrrh Essential Oil smell like?

A: Warm, balsamic, and smoky-resinous with a dry, antique, sacred quality. It is a deep base note with a soft amber sweetness underneath.

Q: Can I use Myrrh oil on my skin?

A: Yes, but always dilute it in a carrier oil and patch test first. Keep within safe dermal limits.

Q: Why does my blend turn darker after adding myrrh?

A: Myrrh is naturally amber-brown and can discolour pale or white bases. Test in a small batch before scaling up.

Q: Is Myrrh a good fixative?

A: Yes, it is an excellent natural fixative. It extends the longevity of lighter top and middle notes in a composition.

Q: How does Myrrh compare to Frankincense?

A: Both are sacred resins, but myrrh is smokier, darker, and more medicinal, while frankincense is brighter, lemony, and more peppery. They are frequently blended together.

Professional formulation workflow

Myrrh Essential Oil should be evaluated in a controlled small batch before production. Confirm the supplied grade, active concentration and recommended application range from the current supplier documentation. Weigh accurately instead of measuring by drops, record every adjustment, and compare the modified trial against an unchanged control.

Compatibility and quality checks

Test the ingredient in the actual alcohol, oil, surfactant, emulsion or wax base intended for sale. Observe clarity, separation, color, odor and performance immediately after mixing and again after a suitable resting period. A material that looks stable in a concentrate can behave differently in the finished formulation.

Scale-up and safety

Convert percentages into exact batch weights and verify the final consumer-product concentration before scaling. Follow the latest applicable IFRA, cosmetic, chemical and supplier safety documentation for the intended category. Use appropriate protective equipment, ventilation and clearly labeled containers, and retain a sample from every approved batch for quality comparison.