Elemi is frankincense's brighter, citrus-scented cousin, and it comes from a tree in the Philippines.
The raw material is a pale gum resin that weeps from Canarium luzonicum, known in the trade as Manila elemi. The tree sits in the same botanical family, Burseraceae, as frankincense and myrrh, which is why the three smell like relatives.
Harvesters tap the bark and the tree seals the wound with soft resin. That resin is collected and steam-distilled into an oil.
The smell is two things at once. Up top it is fresh and sparkling, like sweet lemon peel with a crack of green pepper. Underneath sits a soft, piney, incense-like warmth. It is that lift, bright over resinous, that perfumers want.
In a formula elemi usually works near the top. It adds sparkle to the first few minutes, then hands over to heavier resins and woods below. It also blends cleanly into frankincense and myrrh hearts, which is where its family resemblance earns its keep.
The honest bit: elemi is sometimes called the poor man's frankincense, because it gives a similar resin glow for less money. It is still wild-harvested rather than farmed, so the quality shifts with the season and with the person doing the tapping.
Elemi is classed as a top note with a resinous tail, valued as much for freshness as for depth.
If you like that bright resin, our Spice Ember (our take on Spicebomb Extreme by Viktor and Rolf) and Baby Doll (our take on Baby Cat by Yves Saint Laurent) both open with elemi, UK-made sprays at 35% concentration.
