Bakhoor, incense, and resins: what are the differences in oriental perfumery?

Bakhoor, incense, and resins do not mean the same thing. All three can be used to scent an interior, but they correspond to different categories: a scented preparation, a broader category of use, and natural resinous materials.

Bakhoor: a scented preparation

Bakhoor is a category of prepared incense. Depending on the recipe, it may combine wood, resins, spices, fragrant materials, and other aromatic components. “Bakhoor” should therefore not be considered the name of a single raw material.

This is an important distinction from oud: bakhoor may contain agarwood or evoke its profile without consisting exclusively of genuine oud.

Incense: a broader category

The word incense primarily describes a material or preparation intended to release fragrant substances into the air, often through heating or burning. Historically, incense has used resins, gum resins, woods, bark, flowers, seeds, and other aromatic materials.

The term is therefore broader than “bakhoor.” Bakhoor may be considered a form of incense, but not all incense is bakhoor.

A resin is not a prepared incense

An aromatic resin is a plant-based raw material. Frankincense, for example, is an aromatic resin obtained from certain species of Boswellia. Myrrh is also a resinous material derived from plants.

The resin may then be used as is, mixed with other materials, or incorporated into an incense preparation. It is then a formulation building block, not necessarily the finished product.

Comparison table

Why this difference matters in Middle Eastern perfumery

Product descriptions sometimes use the words “incense,” “bakhoor,” “oud,” “frankincense,” or “resin” as though they were interchangeable. They are not. Identifying the level to which the term belongs makes it easier to understand what you are buying and smelling.

The same composition may therefore combine a raw material such as frankincense, an accord inspired by that material, and a finished product such as bakhoor.

Bakhoor and oud: beware of conflation

Agarwood may be included in certain bakhoor preparations, but the word bakhoor alone does not guarantee the presence of genuine oud. To understand a product, you need to examine its composition or the information provided by the manufacturer rather than infer a material from the trade name alone.

How to distinguish them on a product page

1. If the term refers to a scented preparation, it may be bakhoor.
2. If it refers to a resinous plant material, it is more likely a resin such as frankincense or myrrh.
3. If it describes the category of use intended to scent the air, “incense” is the most general term.
4. To find out which materials are actually used, check the product description or composition.

Key takeaway

Bakhoor = incense preparation; incense = broader category of use; resin = raw material. This distinction makes it possible to correctly connect materials, manufacturing, culture, and uses in Middle Eastern perfumery.

To learn more: Resins, gums, and incense in Middle Eastern perfumery, Culture, uses, and rituals of Middle Eastern perfumery, and the bakhoor guide.

Documentary references: historical and botanical sources distinguish aromatic resins from incense preparations; frankincense is notably a resin derived from certain species of Boswellia.