What is Frankincense?
Frankincense is the dried sap of trees in the Boswellia genus, particularly Boswellia sacra. These trees grow in Oman, Yemen and the Horn of Africa, including Somalia and Ethiopia. When dried, the sap is burned as incense and thought to have several medicinal properties.
Frankincense, sometimes referred to as olibanum, is a common type of essential oil used in aromatherapy that can offer a variety of health benefits: helping relieve chronic stress and anxiety, reducing pain and inflammation, boosting immunity and even fighting cancer.
Many know of Frankincense as one of the plant-derived treasures, along with myrrh, given to the newborn Jesus in the New Testament. Its use in a religious context goes beyond Christianity, however. According to the Hebrew Bible, frankincense and myrrh were components of the holy incense ritually burned in Jerusalem’s sacred temples during ancient times.
Harvests are done at various times and the more opaque resins are considered to be the best quality. Gary Young shares his knowledge, and tells us his experience harvesting Frankincense in this video below...
Frankincense is the dried sap of trees in the Boswellia genus, particularly Boswellia sacra. These trees grow in Oman, Yemen and the Horn of Africa, including Somalia and Ethiopia. When dried, the sap is burned as incense and thought to have several medicinal properties.
Frankincense, sometimes referred to as olibanum, is a common type of essential oil used in aromatherapy that can offer a variety of health benefits: helping relieve chronic stress and anxiety, reducing pain and inflammation, boosting immunity and even fighting cancer.
Many know of Frankincense as one of the plant-derived treasures, along with myrrh, given to the newborn Jesus in the New Testament. Its use in a religious context goes beyond Christianity, however. According to the Hebrew Bible, frankincense and myrrh were components of the holy incense ritually burned in Jerusalem’s sacred temples during ancient times.
Harvests are done at various times and the more opaque resins are considered to be the best quality. Gary Young shares his knowledge, and tells us his experience harvesting Frankincense in this video below...
22 Powerful Uses of Frankincense for Supporting Wellness, Health, and Healing
1. Heal wounds from cuts, scrapes, and burns. For even greater benefit, apply Lavender essential oil first then layer Frankincense on top. The combination of these two oils together is amazing when it comes to healing wounds.
2. Reduce and fade scars. Continue use after the wound has healed to reduce and fade scarring.
3. Relieve the symptoms of gout. Mixed 50/50 with a carrier oil, Frankincense has been known to relieve the painful symptoms of gout. Apply frank and coconut oil 4 times daily, the pain was all but gone within three days.
4. Foster strong immune system. The antiseptic properties of Frankincense make it ideal for supporting a strong immune system. Massage a few drops into the balls of your feet every day. In addition, try diffusing it throughout your home and especially in the bedroom at night. This is especially good during cold and flu season.
5. Stress and anxiety management. Apply a drop at the temples to relieve stress and evoke a feeling of calmness. You can also rub a few drops mixed in a carrier oil on the back of the neck when you feel anxious. Inhaling the oils produces a feeling of calmness; you can simply inhale the aroma by rubbing a drop or two between the palms of your hands then bringing them up to your nose and taking several deep breaths.
6. Mitigate depression and feelings of helplessness. Apply a few drops to the back of the neck (especially around the brain stem, at the base of your skull at your hair-line) two or more times daily.
7. Anti-aging. No one wants to look old. Fine lines and wrinkles become less noticeable after applying Frank over them. Blend Frank with a carrier oil (fractionated coconut oil, sweet almond oil) at a 50:50 ratio in a glass roller ball and apply over the affected area... even on age spots. You can also add a drop of Frank to your daily moisturizer.
8. Replacement for NSAIDS/Advil. Frankincense is a powerful anti-Inflammatory and can be used to relieve conditions where pain and inflammation are present, such as achy joints and muscles.
9. Colds and congestion. Put up to six drops in a diffuser, then breathe in the vapors for at least five minutes.
10. Relieve itching. A single drop applied to the affected area will bring near instant relief of itching.
11. Relieve arthritis pain and swelling. Mix with a carrier and rub onto aching joints at night before bed and throughout the day, every couple of hours.
12. Clear acne. Apply one drop on stubborn spots of acne morning and night.
13. Relaxation. Add 5 - 6 drops to a diffuser and breath in the oil to open the senses and create a calming atmosphere. Perfect for quiet meditation.
14. Remove moles, skin tags, and warts. Apply a single drop 3 or 4 times a day until gone.
15. Reduce swelling from insect bites. A single drop dabbed on an insect bite will reduce the swelling and stop the itching.
16. Enhance vision. Research indicates that Frankincense improves vision and possibly strengthens night vision. Apply Frankincense along the cheek bone and under your eyes, but please be careful not to get any oil in the eye itself. It will burn if it gets in your eye. If that happens, apply a carrier oil such as coconut oil and wipe away with a clean dry cloth. After a few minutes the burning will stop.
17. Remove musty odors. Diffuse 2-3 drops to offer a much fresher smell into a room.
18. Restless leg syndrome. Apply 2 drops Frankincense with carrier oil to the bottom of each foot and massage each night to relieve restless leg syndrome.
19. Oral Health. Useful as preventative measure against oral health problems such as bad breath, toothaches, cavities, canker sores, and other infections. Try mixing with baking soda and coconut oil to make your own toothpaste.
20. Promote sleep and prevent insomnia. Diffuse frankincense at bedtime to help you slow down your breathing and relieve nervous tension and anxiety. You will sleep like a puppy after a long walk!
21. Boost the healing power of homemade remedies and beauty products. Add a few drops of Frankincense to your homemade salves, lip balms, and roller balls to boost the power of everything else!
22. Enhance the efficacy of other essential oils. Yes, layering Frankincense over other essential oils enhances that oil’s properties and drives the oils deeper into the cells. This layering will deliver amazing results for those times when you need to kick it up a notch. Consider combining Frank with Myrrh, as Myrrh will enhance the efficacy of Frank by four times!
2. Reduce and fade scars. Continue use after the wound has healed to reduce and fade scarring.
3. Relieve the symptoms of gout. Mixed 50/50 with a carrier oil, Frankincense has been known to relieve the painful symptoms of gout. Apply frank and coconut oil 4 times daily, the pain was all but gone within three days.
4. Foster strong immune system. The antiseptic properties of Frankincense make it ideal for supporting a strong immune system. Massage a few drops into the balls of your feet every day. In addition, try diffusing it throughout your home and especially in the bedroom at night. This is especially good during cold and flu season.
5. Stress and anxiety management. Apply a drop at the temples to relieve stress and evoke a feeling of calmness. You can also rub a few drops mixed in a carrier oil on the back of the neck when you feel anxious. Inhaling the oils produces a feeling of calmness; you can simply inhale the aroma by rubbing a drop or two between the palms of your hands then bringing them up to your nose and taking several deep breaths.
6. Mitigate depression and feelings of helplessness. Apply a few drops to the back of the neck (especially around the brain stem, at the base of your skull at your hair-line) two or more times daily.
7. Anti-aging. No one wants to look old. Fine lines and wrinkles become less noticeable after applying Frank over them. Blend Frank with a carrier oil (fractionated coconut oil, sweet almond oil) at a 50:50 ratio in a glass roller ball and apply over the affected area... even on age spots. You can also add a drop of Frank to your daily moisturizer.
8. Replacement for NSAIDS/Advil. Frankincense is a powerful anti-Inflammatory and can be used to relieve conditions where pain and inflammation are present, such as achy joints and muscles.
9. Colds and congestion. Put up to six drops in a diffuser, then breathe in the vapors for at least five minutes.
10. Relieve itching. A single drop applied to the affected area will bring near instant relief of itching.
11. Relieve arthritis pain and swelling. Mix with a carrier and rub onto aching joints at night before bed and throughout the day, every couple of hours.
12. Clear acne. Apply one drop on stubborn spots of acne morning and night.
13. Relaxation. Add 5 - 6 drops to a diffuser and breath in the oil to open the senses and create a calming atmosphere. Perfect for quiet meditation.
14. Remove moles, skin tags, and warts. Apply a single drop 3 or 4 times a day until gone.
15. Reduce swelling from insect bites. A single drop dabbed on an insect bite will reduce the swelling and stop the itching.
16. Enhance vision. Research indicates that Frankincense improves vision and possibly strengthens night vision. Apply Frankincense along the cheek bone and under your eyes, but please be careful not to get any oil in the eye itself. It will burn if it gets in your eye. If that happens, apply a carrier oil such as coconut oil and wipe away with a clean dry cloth. After a few minutes the burning will stop.
17. Remove musty odors. Diffuse 2-3 drops to offer a much fresher smell into a room.
18. Restless leg syndrome. Apply 2 drops Frankincense with carrier oil to the bottom of each foot and massage each night to relieve restless leg syndrome.
19. Oral Health. Useful as preventative measure against oral health problems such as bad breath, toothaches, cavities, canker sores, and other infections. Try mixing with baking soda and coconut oil to make your own toothpaste.
20. Promote sleep and prevent insomnia. Diffuse frankincense at bedtime to help you slow down your breathing and relieve nervous tension and anxiety. You will sleep like a puppy after a long walk!
21. Boost the healing power of homemade remedies and beauty products. Add a few drops of Frankincense to your homemade salves, lip balms, and roller balls to boost the power of everything else!
22. Enhance the efficacy of other essential oils. Yes, layering Frankincense over other essential oils enhances that oil’s properties and drives the oils deeper into the cells. This layering will deliver amazing results for those times when you need to kick it up a notch. Consider combining Frank with Myrrh, as Myrrh will enhance the efficacy of Frank by four times!
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Blending: Frankincense Oil blends well with Lime, Lemon, Orange and other Citrus oils as well as Benzoin, Bergamot, Lavender, Myrrh, Pine and Sandalwood oil.
Let me know in the comments below how you use Frank and your experiences! I'm always curious to learn more and to hear about your creative applications and successes! Check out some of the resources below for more in-depth research about Frankincense. Blessings! @drlp4 #FrankincenseIsMyFavorite #FrankincenseEssentialOil #BenefitsofFrankincense #essentialoilapplications #howtouseessentialoils |
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References
- Moussaieff, Arieh; Rimmerman, Neta; Bregman, Tatiana; Straiker, Alex; Felder, Christian C.; Shoham, Shai; Kashman, Yoel; Huang, Susan M.; Lee, Hyosang; Shohami, Esther; Mackie, Ken; Caterina, Michael J.; Walker, J. Michael; Fride, Ester; Mechoulam, Raphael (August 2008). "Incensole acetate, an incense component, elicits psychoactivity by activating TRPV3 channels in the brain". The FASEB Journal 22 (8): 3024–3034. doi:10.1096/fj.07-101865. PMC 2493463. PMID 18492727.
- Moussaieff, A; Gross, M; Nesher, E; Tikhonov, T; Yadid, G; Pinhasov, A (2012). "Incensole acetate reduces depressive-like behavior and modulates hippocampal BDNF and CRF expression of submissive animals". J Psychopharmacol. 26 (12): 1584–93. doi:10.1177/0269881112458729. PMID 23015543.
- Drahl, Carmen (22 December 2008). "Frankincense And Myrrh". Chemical & Engineering News 86 (51): 38. doi:10.1021/cen-v086n051.p038. ISSN 0009-2347.
- "A double blind, randomized, placebo controlled study of the efficacy and safety of 5-Loxin for treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee". Arthritis Research & Therapy. Retrieved 2008-10-09.
- Frank, MB; Yang, Q; Osban, J; Azzarello, JT; Saban, MR; Saban, R; Ashley, RA; Welter, JC; Fung, KM; Lin, HK (2009). "Frankincense oil derived from Boswellia carteri induces tumor cell specific cytotoxicity.". BMC Complement Altern Med 9: 6. doi:10.1186/1472-6882-9-6. PMC 2664784. PMID 19296830.
- Skarke, Carsten; et al. (October 2012). "Increased bioavailability of 11-keto-β-boswellic acid following single oral dose frankincense extract administration after a standardized meal in healthy male volunteers: modeling and simulation considerations for evaluating drug exposures.". J Clin Pharmacol. 52 (10): 1592–1600. doi:10.1177/0091270011422811. PMID 22167571.
- Moussaieff, Arieh; Gross, Moshe; Nesher, Elimelech; Tikhonov, Tatiana; Yadid, Gal; Pinhasov, Albert (December 2012). "Incensole acetate reduces depressive-like behavior and modulates hippocampal BDNF and CRF expression of submissive animals". Journal of Psychopharmacology 26 (12): 1584–93. doi:10.1177/0269881112458729. PMID 23015543.
- "Olibanum.—Frankincense.". Henriette's Herbal Homepage. www.henriettes-herb.com. Retrieved 2009-01-14.
- "Farmacy Query". www.ars-grin.gov. Retrieved 2009-01-14.
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