Fragrance Note
Myrrh
Used in 145+ fragrances on FragranVerse
What it smells like
Myrrh is the bitter-balsamic oleo-gum-resin tapped from Commiphora myrrha and several closely related Commiphora species, native to the Horn of Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula. The resin exudes when the bark is wounded and hardens into reddish-brown 'tears'. The historical product traded along the incense routes since at least the second millennium BCE. The essential oil is dominated by furanosesquiterpenes that give myrrh its characteristic bitter-medicinal-balsamic character, distinct from the more incense-spicy profile of frankincense.
How it's used in perfumery
Myrrh is a base-note anchor in incense, Amber, and sacred compositions. It provides the dark, balsamic counterweight to brighter resinous materials, particularly frankincense, with which it has been paired since antiquity. In Amber fragrances, myrrh reinforces the warm resinous base alongside benzoin, labdanum, and vanilla. In chypres, it introduces a bitter, medicinal depth that prevents the composition from cloying. Functionally, myrrh acts as a fixative and atmospheric modifier, creating a sense of depth and age.
Fun fact
In 1983, researchers identified furanoeudesma-1,3-diene as the principal odorant of myrrh. A furanosesquiterpene later shown to interact with opioid receptors in the brain, which may explain why myrrh resin has been used as an analgesic across cultures for millennia.
Perfumes with Myrrh(80 of 145)
Designer
(14)
Niche
(63)