Opopanax Resin (Commiphora Erythrea)
- Raw sweet myrrh resin, Commiphora erythraea. An oleo-gum-resin, the sweet myrrh of the trade, gathered as tears rather than distilled into an oil.
- A Burseraceae relative of myrrh and frankincense. It shares the frankincense-and-myrrh family, the sweet, rounder cousin among the incense resins.
- Gathered in eastern Africa. The tree grows in the dry, scrubby country of eastern Africa, where the resin is gathered and sorted.
- Two ways to use it. Burn it as incense over charcoal, or steep it slowly in oil. How to burn and infuse it.
- The resin, not the oil. Here you get the raw resin, while the distilled Opoponax essential oil is a separate product for blending and dilution. Resin or the oil?.
- Gathered in small quantities. We work with harvesters who gather it in small lots, one of the hard-to-find resins we use ourselves.
Product specification
Our quality promise
Opopanax, the sweet myrrh resin of Eastern Africa
4 benefits of Opopanax Resin
Burned over charcoal
Opopanax burns as an incense resin on a lit charcoal disc, giving off a warm, sweet smoke that fills a room. A small piece is enough, and the scent grows as the resin softens on the heat. It's one of the classic sweet-resin incenses, rounder and gentler than raw myrrh.
The sweet side of myrrh
Sweet myrrh is the warm, rounded counterpart to bitter myrrh, its close relative among the resins. Where true myrrh runs sharp, this resin stays soft and sweet, which is how it earned the name. That difference, warm and sweet rather than sharp, is what sets it apart from its better-known cousin.
A perfumer's fixative
In perfumery, opopanax works as a fixative, the material that anchors a blend and makes the lighter parts last. It sits as the warm, sweet anchor beneath fragrances like Guerlain's Shalimar, holding the composition together. On a blotter it stays long after the brighter materials have faded.
Steeped into a carrier oil
Warmed gently in oil, opopanax gives up its scent to make a soft, resinous infused oil. It makes a quiet way to carry sweet myrrh as a personal scent rather than burning it. If you would rather not make your own, we also sell a ready-made Resin Infused Olive Oil.
How to use
Over charcoal
As incenseTo burn opopanax, light a charcoal disc in a heat-safe burner or censer and set a small piece of resin on top once the coal glows. Keep it away from any open flame beyond the charcoal, do not leave it burning unattended, and let some fresh air move through the room. Keep the burner and the resin out of reach of children and pets.
Simmered in water
SimmerFor a gentler, slower release, drop a piece of opopanax into a pot of simmering water on the stove, or set it in a warmer. The heat draws the scent out without smoke, so it suits a room where charcoal would be too much. Here too, never leave it heating on its own, and keep some fresh air moving.
Steeped into oil
Infused oilTo make an infused oil, warm crushed opopanax resin gently in a carrier oil such as olive or jojoba over low heat, then strain out the solids. The infused oil goes on skin diluted, never the raw resin, and a patch test on the inner forearm is wise before wider use. Keep the finished oil out of direct sun as a general precaution.
2 recipes using this oil
Tap a recipe to see the full formula and method.
Method. Break the resins into small pieces and mix them in the parts shown. Burn a pinch of the blend over glowing charcoal, adding more a pinch at a time. Never leave the charcoal alight on its own.
Method. Warm the crushed resin and the oil together over low heat until the resin softens and the oil takes on its scent, then strain and bottle the oil. Patch test the strained oil before using it on skin.
Frequently asked questions
7 answers drawn from the product specification and our own use of this oil.
Frequently bought together
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