Ingredient Guide
Known in Japanese as motsuyaku, myrrh is a resin obtained from myrrh trees native to the Middle East and places such as Somalia and Ethiopia. Like frankincense, the plant belongs to the Burseraceae family.
The name myrrh derives from Hebrew and Arabic words meaning “bitter.” Its scent is woody and aromatic, suggesting lemon and saffron, with a pungent edge and a faint medicinal quality. It is also warm and an excellent fixative for prolonging a fragrance.
What Does It Smell Like in Perfume?
In perfume, myrrh has a warm balsamic scent reminiscent of sweet amber, spice, liquorice, and resin. Natural essential oil steam-distilled from the gum-resin of Commiphora myrrha has a spicy scent with a freshness like forest air. A resinoid made by extracting the same resin with ethanol and then using molecular distillation has a sweeter, more resinous amber character. Both add depth to amber and incense compositions, but their different extraction methods mean that materials called “myrrh” do not have identical olfactory textures.
Choosing a fragrance with myrrh
Choose myrrh according to the balance you enjoy between incense-like resinous depth and a sweet, soft finish.
- Resinous richness: If you like balsamic scents, the lingering warmth matters more than an initially fresh opening.
- Rounded sweetness: Tonka bean and vanilla soften the depth of myrrh.
- Woods and leather: Sandalwood or leather introduces texture beyond sweetness.
Two fragrances featuring myrrh
Myrrh & Tonka Cologne Intense (Jo Malone London)
Namibian myrrh is layered with the almond- and vanilla-like sweetness of tonka bean. It brings together deep resin and rounded, warm sweetness.
Myrrhe Mystère Eau de Parfum (Tom Ford)
Myrrh essence and resinoid meet sandalwood, a vanilla accord and black leather. Woods and leather sit beneath the resin’s sweetness.
Find your next fragrance
In Fragrance Finder, choose “Favorite fragrances & notes” on the home screen, then look for notes you enjoy under “Favorite notes”. Select from the available suggestions and press “Next”.
