Manila Elemi Resin

Manila Elemi resin, is fresh fragrant and sticky. Finally, I can present the resin that gives us the familiar Elemi essential oil, ubiquitous in perfume and aromatherapy, Manila Elemi, AKA Canarium Luzonicum which is named after the island and province where it grows abundantly.

Frequently asked questions

Some questions and answers are automatically generated.

How fresh is the resin when it arrives?
Multiple reviewers report receiving exceptionally fresh Manila Elemi, with some describing it as if it were collected yesterday. The product's softness and high sticky character are direct signs of freshness, reflecting its high essential oil content.
What does it smell like?
Reviewers consistently describe a bright, fruity fragrance with dominant citrus and lemon notes, followed by peppery and minty undertones. Several compare the scent profile to lemon mint sorbet with hints of pine and black pepper.
Is it very sticky?
Yes—multiple reviewers emphasize the resin's stickiness and pliability. The product description notes it is extremely sticky, and this is due to its freshness and high essential oil content (up to 25%), making it softer than most other resins.
How should I remove it from the wrapper?
The product description recommends placing the double-bagged resin in the fridge or freezer for 15–30 minutes before unwrapping; chilling allows it to detach cleanly without material sticking to the wrapper.
Good for making skincare products?
Yes. Reviewers using it in DIY creams, serums, and salves report excellent results, describing their finished products as spa-quality. The product description suggests a 1:10 ratio in oil to create fragrant skincare products.
How does it burn on incense?
Reviewers report it smells amazing when burned on charcoal. The product description notes it burns sweet on the censer with no charring, and it works well for incense sticks, pastilles, and pellets.
Does it work well in perfume?
Yes. Reviewers mention using it in perfumes and finding it adds grounding and meditative qualities. It dissolves easily in alcohol according to the product description, making it suitable for fragrance applications.
What uses does it have?
Reviewers and the product description note it is used for incense, home freshening, perfume, aromatic salves and oils, and traditional skincare applications. The product dissolves readily in alcohol and warm oils for various formulations.
Comes in large pieces?
Yes. Reviewers mention receiving nice large pieces that are easy to work with, making the resin convenient for crafting and formulation projects.
How does quality compare to other elemi resins?
One reviewer called it "the best elemi resin I have ever come across on the internet," praising its luxurious, smooth, and decadent character. Its exceptional quality stems from its extreme freshness and unusually high essential oil content.
Rare to find in its undistilled and raw form and surprisingly fresh, this Elemi resin is soft, extremely sticky and abundantly aromatic. It is brimming with a fruity fragrance, vibrant lemony notes and hints of black pepper and pine. If it was any fresher and softer it would be a liquid.
Its softness is due to its freshness and the subsequent high % of essential oils present lending its potent and bold aroma.
(Fresh Manila Elemi can often contain a whopping 25% essential oils which is 5 times more than Frankincense and other resins.)

Rare to find in its undistilled and raw form and surprisingly fresh, this Elemi resin is soft, extremely sticky and abundantly aromatic. It is brimming with a fruity fragrance, vibrant lemony notes and hints of black pepper and pine. If it was any fresher and softer it would be a liquid.
Its softness is due to its freshness and the subsequent high % of essential oils present lending its potent and bold aroma.
(Fresh Manila Elemi can often contain a whopping 25% essential oils which is 5 times more than Frankincense and other resins.) Its softness is due to its freshness and the subsequent high % of essential oils present lending its potent and bold aroma.
(Fresh Manila Elemi can often contain a whopping 25% essential oils which is 5 times more than Frankincense and other resins.)

Manila Elemi is called Pili locally and we find that Manila, African and Madagascar Elemi are used in similar ways in their respective cultures. Traditional healers use it to treat a wide variety of skin conditions, while the general populace uses it as incense to cleanse and freshen the home and as a repellant for mosquitos.

Manila Elemi resin makes a wonderful material for the production of perfume, incense, aromatic/medicated salves, oils and cremes and dissolves easily in alcohol and warm oils. it burns sweet on the censer with no charring.

If you plan to make a cosmetic or healing salve/creme/oil with it, a ratio of 1:10 in the oil of your choice, will produce a wonderfully fragrant product.

It is a perfect natural binder for creating incense pastilles and pellets with other powdered aromatics and is an ingredient in traditional incense sticks.

This sticky resin is double-bagged and will need to be chilled in order to remove the wrapper cleanly from the resin.

Dan

If your resin is sticky, it may be difficult to remove it intact from the plastic wrapper. My trick and workaround is to place the bag in the fridge or freezer for 15-30 minutes before separating it from its package. After chilling, it will detach with ease and without leaving any material stuck to the wrapper.

Materials: Elemi resin, Canarium Luzonicum, Manila Elemi.


Customer Reviews

Based on 168 reviews
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Walter Ross (Toronto, CA)
Incredible

Really appreciate the incredible quality here.

S
Shane H (Manchester, US)
One of my favorites

Delicious, gooey, sweet, and vibrant! I love this one in all forms.

T
That mas Foil (Laconia, US)
Does it get any fresher? No!

Holy... Man, this stuff is super fresh, super sticky, and super smelly! I could swear it was collected yesterday! Now that's the quality I'm talking about!

C
Christian Conrad (Los Angeles, US)

The Manila is received is extremely fragrant with a citrus plackpepper aroma, I definitely have a new favorite resin to add to my incense collection.

T
T.S (Istanbul, TR)
A Feast!

This last Manila Elemi I bought is so soft and fresh. It's a feast with its dominant peppery lemon notes. In addition to its healing effect, I also love smelling this resin in perfumes. It adds a grounding, meditative atmosphere to the scents.

B
Bella (Yerevan, AM)
Best Quality

As someone who’s obsessed with creating clean, ethical skincare at home, I’m *super* picky about ingredients. But let me tell you—these resins I stumbled on from Den **Manila Elemi, Myrrh Yenen Rare, and Royal Green Hojari Frankincense**—have completely blown me away. They’ve turned my DIY creams and serums into something that feels like a $$$ spa treatment. Will order again ❤️

G
Garrison (Ashburn, US)
Best quality copal, thank you 🙏

Best quality copal, thank you 🙏

E
Etsy customer

Best quality copal, thank you 🙏

J
Jillian (Ashburn, US)
Amazing selection, and great quality!

Amazing selection, and great quality!

L
Lew (Ashburn, US)
Great product, it has a very human smell t...

Great product, it has a very human smell to it. Very interesting

Reviews in Other Languages

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Petra Moore (Ashburn, US)
sehr gute Qualität, soweit ich das beurtei...

sehr gute Qualität, soweit ich das beurteilen kann

E
Etsy customer

sehr gute Qualität, soweit ich das beurteilen kann

E
Etsy customer

Manila Elemi Resin