Frankincense is the aromatic resin used in incense and perfumes, obtained from trees of the genus Boswellia. The biblical incense frankincense was an extract from the resin of the tree Boswellia sacra although there are five main species of Boswellia that produce true frankincense.

Frankincense has been traded on the Arabian Peninsula for more than 6,000 years. Its use was characteristic in religious rites throughout Mesopotamia and the Eastern Mediterranean from the earliest antiquity.

The herbal extract taken from the Boswellia serrata tree, also known as Indian frankincense, has been used for centuries in Asian and African folk medicine. It's believed to treat chronic inflammatory illnesses as well as a number of other health conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and asthma.