The skin trial behind frankincense tested a cream of boswellic acids, triterpenes from the resin. The essential oil isn't the same thing. We use frankincense in one jar, as a CO2 extract at a studied dose.
That jar is Velvet Face Renewal ($89 as of October 5, 2026) in its Frankincense Edition, and the extract's there for scent.
What did the boswellic acid skin trial find?
The skin research is thin, and the trial I'd point to is a 2010 study by Pedretti and colleagues. It was randomized and double-blind. Fifteen women put a cream with 0.5% boswellic acids on one side of the face once a day for 30 days, and the same cream without them on the other. Treated sides improved significantly in roughness and fine lines. Instruments measured better elasticity and less sebum, and the abstract reports no adverse effects. It's one small trial.
Is frankincense essential oil the same thing as those acids?
No. Al-Harrasi and Al-Saidi distilled Boswellia sacra resin in a 2008 analysis and got 5.5% oil. It was 97.3% monoterpenes, led by limonene and ocimene. Sesquiterpenes made up the remaining 2.7%, and the authors found no diterpenes in the oil at all. Boswellic acids are triterpenes, and they aren't part of that breakdown.
A CO2 extract is made differently. Pressurized carbon dioxide serves as the solvent and leaves no solvent residue, since it's a gas at room temperature and pressure, a 2020 review by Uwineza and Waśkiewicz explains. I don't claim the trial's results for our extract, which is there for scent.
What can frankincense in a tallow balm do?
Frankincense tallow posts promise help with scars and wrinkles, and some promise "cell regeneration" too. I haven't found a trial that tested any of it. A balm softens the look of fine lines while it's on, because a film of fat slows water leaving your skin. It's cosmetic care, not a treatment, and your provider's plan comes first.
When we built Recovery Balm for the look of scars and stretch marks, we didn't reach for frankincense. Helichrysum got the job. Sea buckthorn CO2 and tamanu work beside it, and our helichrysum post covers that plant. Frankincense stayed in Velvet, where the research set the doses, and our essential oil dose calculator shows how dosing works.
For your face, I'd hand you Velvet's Frankincense Edition. It's built for the look of fine lines, as our Velvet post explains, and it smells like frankincense going on, then quiets as the balm settles in.
The jar for this job is Velvet Face Renewal ($89). Subscribe to two jars and a third rides free, and every subscription takes 25% off the first delivery.
Questions we hear
Is frankincense good for skin?
The skin research is thin, and the clearest trial we've read is a 2010 split-face study by Pedretti and colleagues. Fifteen women took part. Over 30 days, the face halves that got a cream with 0.5% boswellic acids improved significantly in roughness and fine lines.
Does frankincense essential oil contain boswellic acids?
Boswellic acids don't appear in a 2008 analysis by Al-Harrasi and Al-Saidi, who distilled oil from Boswellia sacra resin. It was 97.3% monoterpenes, led by limonene and ocimene. Sesquiterpenes made up the rest, and the acids, which are triterpenes, aren't part of that breakdown.
What is a frankincense CO2 extract?
It's resin extracted with pressurized carbon dioxide as the solvent, instead of distilled. Because carbon dioxide is a gas at room temperature and pressure, the extract comes out free of solvent residue, a 2020 review by Uwineza and Waśkiewicz explains. Craft Tallow's Velvet Face Renewal carries one in its Frankincense Edition, for scent.
Which Craft Tallow balm has frankincense in it?
Only Velvet Face Renewal's Frankincense Edition, $89 as of October 5, 2026, which carries a CO2 extract for scent. There's no frankincense essential oil in any Craft jar. Velvet's work on the look of fine lines comes from 1% bakuchiol and 1.5% vitamin C.
Go deeper
Start with the beef tallow for skin guide. Our fine lines post explains where bakuchiol fits, and our rosehip CO2 post covers the other CO2 extract that's in Velvet. Fragrance oils vs essential oils explains why the scent in our jars is the plant's own extract.
Sources
- Pedretti A, Capezzera R, Zane C, Facchinetti E, Calzavara-Pinton P (2010). Effects of topical boswellic acid on photo and age-damaged skin, a double-blind, randomized, split-face study in 15 women. Planta Medica, volume 76, issue 6, pages 555 to 560.
- Al-Harrasi A, Al-Saidi S (2008). Phytochemical analysis of the essential oil from botanically certified oleogum resin of Boswellia sacra (Omani Luban). Molecules, volume 13, issue 9, pages 2181 to 2189 (MDPI).
- Uwineza PA, Waśkiewicz A (2020). Recent advances in supercritical fluid extraction of natural bioactive compounds from natural plant materials. Molecules, volume 25, issue 17, article 3847 (MDPI).
Brian is the founder of Craft Tallow, a small-batch tallow skincare line shipped from Cottonwood Heights, Utah, built on 100% grass-fed suet. Questions? Reply to any email from us; it lands with him.