Frankincense and Myrrh EO’s Tested Together Against Numerous Cancer Cell Lines. See the Results!
A laboratory study comparing Frankincense, Myrrh, and a combined Frankincense–Myrrh preparation across multiple human cancer cell lines.
By Eric R. Cêch | Curated and Edited by Anita Felice
Archive Restoration Note
This article preserves and expands upon research materials originally collected by Eric R. Cêch regarding a laboratory study involving Frankincense and Myrrh essential oils. The original article was entitled "Frankincense & Myrrh Essential Oils Tested Together Against Numerous Cancer Cell Lines". Additional context and references have been added to clarify the scope of the research, the preparations tested, and the distinction between laboratory observations and clinical outcomes.
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Frankincense and Myrrh essential oils have both been positively studied for their anti-cancer activity in laboratory research. In the study reviewed here, Frankincense and Myrrh oils were tested both together (to find any potential synergistic effect) and separately (to gauge their ‘strength’ against one another) on several human cancer cell lines using two different assays.
The sap of Myrrh trees is collected, and the essential oil is distilled from this dried resin, leaving these amazing trees unharmed
In the study “Composition and potential anticancer activities of essential oils obtained from myrrh and frankincense”(1), breast, blood cell, cervical, skin and small-lung cancer cell lines received a wide range of concentrations in their medium of Frankincense and Myrrh, either together or individually. These cells were incubated and analysis performed on the oils’ ability to cause their death.
The Results: The table above summarizes the results of the first assay, which shows the concentration of each essential oil – and the 1:1 blend of the two – at which half of the cancer cells were killed.
The breast (MCF-7) and skin cancer (HS-1) cell lines were found most susceptible to the anti-cancer activity of both Frankincense and Myrrh essential oils, whether the oils were used together or separately. Using the above data, the researchers selected the breast cancer cell line for the apoptosis assay. This evaluated each oil’s potential to cause apoptosis (natural cell death), as opposed to simply cause the death of the cancer cells – as was done with all five cell lines.
The graph above summarizes the results of this second assay: It was found that Myrrh essential oil was strongest in its ability to invoke apoptosis, a crucial feature in an anti-cancer agent. (Normally, cancerous cells are considered ‘immortal’, and it is this ‘immortality’ which allows them to grown and spread in the body.)
Thus, in each assay performed, Myrrh essential oil was found to have the stronger anti-cancer activity over both Frankincense alone, and a blend of Frankincense and Myrrh essential oils. This does not, of course, discount the large body of research noting Frankincense’s anti-cancer properties.
Laboratory research does not always support traditional assumptions. This study suggests that historical pairing and laboratory synergy are not necessarily the same thing — the fact that two materials have been used together for centuries does not automatically mean that a combined preparation will outperform each material individually under controlled laboratory conditions.
A note about the oils used: these were hydro-distilled essential oils. We carry wildcrafted Frankincense and Myrrh oils that are Supercritical CO2 extracts. This organically-certified distillation process happens at cooler temperatures than steam or hydro-distillation, and more importantly, it draws a greater range of heavier molecules into the oil. This is why CO2 extracted Frankincense & Myrrh oils are thicker than their steam and hydro-distilled counterparts. All the molecular constituents found in the steam and hydro-distillates are also found in the CO2 extracts, and then some. These heavier molecules are unique to these plants, and while it has not been 'proven' in research, much of the aromatherapy community considers them to have important therapeutic considerations. PLUS, we find these particular CO2 extracts smell nicer – smoother, deeper and richer.
This Research Prompts Us to Take A Different Look on Frankincense, Myrrh & Sandalwood Oils & Cancer…
Interestingly, we’d just published a post regarding the complementary ways in which Frankincense and Sandalwood essential oils destroy cancer cells. This research did not compare their relative strength, but did note that they each killed cancer cells via different, and therefore complementary, mechanisms – each affected a different set of the cancer cell’s DNA, leading to its death. It would be of course very interesting to see a similar study including Myrrh, and examine how these three oils may act together.
This is the full research abstract of the article reviewed here as published in Oncology Letters
1. Title: Composition and potential anticancer activities of essential oils obtained from myrrh and frankincense. Published in: Oncology Letters. 2013 Oct;6(4):1140-1146. Authors: Chen Y1, Zhou C, Ge Z, Liu Y, Liu Y, Feng W, Li S, Chen G, Wei T.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3796379/
The present study aimed to investigate the composition and potential anticancer activities of essential oils obtained from two species, myrrh and frankincense, by hydrodistillation. Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), 76 and 99 components were identified in the myrrh and frankincense essential oils, respectively, with the most abundant components, 2-Cyclohexen-1-one, 4-ethynyl-4-hydroxy-3,5,5-trimethyl- and n-Octylacetate, accounting for 12.01 and 34.66%, respectively. The effects of the two essential oils, independently and as a mixture, on five tumor cell lines, MCF-7, HS-1, HepG2, HeLa and A549, were investigated using the MTT assay. The results indicated that the MCF-7 and HS-1 cell lines showed increased sensitivity to the myrrh and frankincense essential oils compared with the remaining cell lines. In addition, the anticancer effects of myrrh were markedly increased compared with those of frankincense, however, no significant synergistic effects were identified. The flow cytometry results indicated that apoptosis may be a major contributor to the biological efficacy of MCF-7 cells.
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This study serves as a useful reminder that laboratory research sometimes confirms traditional assumptions—and sometimes challenges them. In this case, the most interesting finding may not be that Frankincense and Myrrh were tested together. It may be that the results encourage us to look more carefully at the differences between materials that are often assumed to behave the same way.
You can find a wealth of research at PubMed
To search other studies, use PubMed’s search box with terms like:
-
frankincense and cancer
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1044579X20300341 -
lavender and sleep
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35708558/
and you’ll see much of the published research in the medical field over the last ten years.
For over four thousand years, Frankincense and Myrrh have held a place in health and healing. According to aroma-therapists and herbalists, their applications are numerous. Both, too, have been used as spiritual aids by various cultures throughout the ages.
We enjoy them for their vast array of healing benefits, and most often for their lovely, complex aromas in any style of diffuser. To learn more about each oil, see our in-depth Frankincense and Myrrh pages.
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For educational purposes only. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
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Further Reading from the Ananda Apothecary™ Library
Frankincense and Cancer Research: What the Studies Actually Show
Explore laboratory studies involving Boswellia essential oils, boswellic acids, and resin-derived compounds, and why preparation method matters when interpreting research findings.
Explore a laboratory study comparing Frankincense and Sandalwood essential oils and the different biological pathways they appeared to influence.
CO₂ Extracts vs. Essential Oils: When Does the Difference Matter?
Explore why Frankincense became one of the most discussed CO₂ extracts in aromatherapy and how extraction method changes the chemistry of the finished material.
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Frankincense will be available in limited quantities through the Summer Cabinet (Opens July 2026). Join the Frankincense Waitlist for advance notice before public release.
→ https://www.anandaapothecary.com/pages/frankincense-waitlist
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References
Chen Y, Zhou C, Ge Z, et al. Composition and Potential Anticancer Activities of Essential Oils Obtained from Myrrh and Frankincense. Oncology Letters. 2013;6(4):1140–1146.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24137478/
(Primary study discussed in this article. Researchers evaluated Frankincense and Myrrh essential oils individually and as a 1:1 mixture across multiple human cancer cell lines.)
Dozmorov MG, Yang Q, Wu W, et al. Differential Effects of Selective Frankincense (Ru Xiang) Essential Oil versus Non-Selective Sandalwood (Tan Xiang) Essential Oil on Cultured Human Bladder Cancer Cells: A Microarray and Bioinformatics Study. Chinese Medicine. 2014;9:18.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25006348/
Suhail MM, Wu W, Cao A, et al. Boswellia sacra Essential Oil Induces Tumor Cell-Specific Apoptosis and Suppresses Tumor Aggressiveness in Cultured Human Breast Cancer Cells.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23237355/
Moussaieff A, Mechoulam R. Boswellia Resin: From Religious Ceremonies to Modern Research.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8776457/
Editor's Research Note
The studies referenced in this article are laboratory (in vitro) and preclinical investigations. Such studies are valuable for understanding biological mechanisms and generating research questions, but they do not establish that Frankincense or Myrrh essential oils prevent, treat, or cure cancer in humans.
