Frankincense Essential Oil

In the spirit of Christmas, I thought it would be fun to take a look at frankincense essential oil.  Frankincense is a versatile essential oil with a long rich history. 

Frankincense is considered a holy oil and has been used for religious purposes for thousands of years.  The Bible tells us the Wise Men presented frankincense to Jesus to honor his birth.

Scientist learned more about frankincense through the discovery in 1817 of an ancient Egyptian scroll known as the Ebers Papyrus.  This scroll dates back to the 16th century BC.  It consists of over 800 herbal prescriptions and remedies commonly used by the Egyptian people.  Frankincense is among many other essential oils included in these recipes.

In addition to religious and medicinal purposes, travelers in the Middle East used frankincense to suppress their appetites when food was scarce. They would also chew it to clean their teeth.

Harvesters extract the frankincense resin from mature boswali trees through a process known as resin tapping.  Sections of bark are scraped from the tree to allow the resin to seep out of the “wound”.  The harvesters then collect the resin; repeating the process three times over the same spot on the tree.  This resin tapping process is completed two to three times a year; however, it is especially productive following the monsoon season. 

Only four main species of Boswali trees produce true frankincense. 

Two of these are the Boswali carterii tree native to Somalia and the Boswali sacra tree, which is primarily grown in Oman.  The traditional frankincense essential oil comes from the carterii tree.  This frankincense is especially beneficial for supporting healthy looking skin; therefore, it is added to many personal care products.

Sacred Frankincense comes from the sacra tree.  While both types of frankincense have similar qualities and uses, sacred frankincense is more commonly used to heighten spiritual awareness.

The Omani or Sacred Frankincense is considered the “frankincense of the ancients”; therefore, it is most likely what was presented to the Christ Child.

There are many benefits of Frankincense Essential Oil.

Frankincense is used in many personal care products because it promotes the appearance of healthy looking skin, including smoothing wrinkles, fine lines, and skin tone.  It also supports oral health and hygiene and may also help to support a healthy immune system*.

Some find that frankincense essential oil increases feelings of peace and spiritual awareness. It is used in yoga and other meditative practices due to it’s calming and grounding effects.

100% pure essential oils can be used three different ways: topically, aromatically, and internally. 

The most common ways to use essential oils include rubbing them directly on your skin or breathing them in by diffusing them into the air.  However, you can also add them to beverages, food, or ingest them in a vegetarian capsule.  However, be sure you know where your oils come from, how they are processed, and what is included in the bottle.  Some oils, especially the ones you get in grocery or department stores, are not truly 100% pure and are loaded with toxins.  Young Living Vitality oils are specifically marketed for internal use.

How can we use Frankincense Essential Oil?

• Diffuse Frankincense to produce calming feelings of peace and grounding.
  
• Add a drop of Frankincense to your face lotion or other natural beauty products.
  
• Rub 1-2 drops of Frankincense on your temples and on the back of your neck before yoga or other meditative practices.
• Mix Frankincense with a carrier oil, and then massage into your muscles following a workout.
• Mix with water or with a drop of honey.
• Add 1-2 drops of Frankincense to a vegetarian capsule.

Frankincense is only one of several essential oils mentioned in the Bible.  Essential oils were a prominent part of ancient times.  Tomb robbers have even been known to leave valuable gold pieces behind, but break apart heavy alabaster jars to retrieve the essential oils inside.

The more we learn about these oils and the benefits they provide, the better we will be able to take advantage of their natural healing properties.

Try this DIY recipe for an Oatmeal Bath Soak:

• 1 cup Epsom salt
• 1 cup oats
• 1/2 cup baking soda
• 8-10 drops Frankincense essential oil
• 6-8 drops Lavender essential oil

Grind the oats into a fine, flour-like texture using a food processor or blender; then mix all of the ingredients in a bowl until the oats are evenly distributed.  Store in a glass jar and use about 1 cup of mixture in your bath.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.  This product and the information presented is for educational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose, prescribe, or treat any health condition.

Learn more about Young Living Essential Oils here.

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