Updated October 2026
A frankincense bath is one of my favorite ways to unwind. Its warm, sweet, resinous scent fills the bathroom and helps the day melt away, and it's gentle on skin when it's properly diluted. Below I'll show you how to add frankincense oil to your bath the right way, plus my homemade frankincense bath salts recipe.
Why Add Frankincense to Your Bath?
Frankincense has been prized for thousands of years, burned in temples and once traded like gold. Today it's one of the most loved oils in aromatherapy. In the bath, I reach for it to:
- Slow down and breathe more deeply at the end of a long day
- Create a calm, spa-like mood for a bedtime routine
- Pamper skin that feels dry or dull
- Make time for quiet reflection or prayer
There are several types of frankincense, including carterii, sacra, serrata and frereana. Any of them works beautifully in the bath. Learn more about each in my full frankincense essential oil guide.
How to Use Frankincense Oil in the Bath
Always disperse essential oils first
- Essential oils don't mix with water. Dropped straight in, they float on top and can irritate skin where they land.
- Mix the drops into a carrier oil or unscented castile soap first, then add that to the tub.
- Salt alone doesn't disperse oils, so my bath salt recipe includes a carrier oil too.
Quick Frankincense Bath
- 3 to 6 drops Frankincense
- 1 tablespoon carrier oil or unscented castile soap
Stir the frankincense into the carrier or soap (about 1% to 2%), then swirl it into a warm bath just before you get in. Read more about using castile soap with essential oils and my guide to using essential oils for bathing.
Homemade Frankincense Bath Salts Recipe
- 1 cup Epsom salt (affiliate link)
- 1 tablespoon fractionated coconut oil (affiliate link) or unscented castile soap
- 16 drops Frankincense
- A glass mason jar (affiliate link) with a lid
Directions: Stir the frankincense into the fractionated coconut oil or castile soap first. Pour the Epsom salt into a bowl, add the oil mixture and mix well. Store in the glass jar. Add 1/4 cup to a warm bath (about 4 drops of frankincense per bath) and soak for 15 to 20 minutes.
Foot soak: stir 1 to 2 tablespoons of the bath salts into a foot basin (affiliate link) of warm water.
Easy Variations
- Calm and cozy: 10 drops frankincense and 6 drops lavender
- Bright and cheerful: 10 drops frankincense and 6 drops sweet orange
- Grounding: 12 drops frankincense and 4 drops cedarwood
Bath Safety Tips
- Use warm, not hot, water, and keep baths to about 20 minutes.
- Patch test new blends, and get out and rinse if your skin tingles or itches.
- Frankincense is gentle, but old, oxidized oil is more likely to irritate. Store it cool, dark and tightly capped.
- Tubs get slippery with oils, so step carefully.
- For kids 2 and up, use half the amount, and keep oils away from cats and other pets.
More in my 7 essential oil safety tips.
More Bath Recipes
- Aromatherapy Bath Recipes
- 7 Essential Oil Bath Salt Recipes
- Epsom Salt Bath Recipes
- Homemade Shea Butter Bath Melts
- Frankincense Diffuser Blends
- Frankincense Essential Oil: Uses, Types and Safety
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