Essential oils like frankincense oil have been used for thousands of years for their therapeutic and healing properties as part of the practice of aromatherapy. They’re sourced from leaves, stems or roots of plants that are known for their health 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, including helping relieve chronic stress and anxiety, reducing pain and inflammation, and boosting immunity.
Frankincense oil is from the genus Boswellia and sourced from the resin of the Boswellia carterii, Boswellia frereana or Boswellia serrata trees that are commonly grown in Somalia and regions of Pakistan. These trees are different from many others in that they can grow with very little soil in dry and desolate conditions.
The word frankincense comes from the term “franc encens,” which means quality incense in old French. Frankincense has been associated with many different religions over the years, especially the Christian religion, as it was one of the first gifts given to Jesus by the wise men.
What does frankincense smell like?
It smells like a combination of pine, lemon and woody scents.
Boswellia serrata is a tree native to India that produces special compounds that have been found to have strong anti-inflammatory, and potentially anti-cancer, effects. Among the valuable boswellia tree extracts that researchers have identified, several stand out as most beneficial, including terpenes and boswellic acids, which are strongly anti-inflammatory agents and protective over healthy cells.
How is Frankincense oil extracted?
The first step in extracting Frankincense oil is peeling the bark on the tree away from the trunk with a knife. This is a very labour-intensive process. A milk-white sap exudes from the cuts and peeling bark, which hardens into a resin over the next few days. These chunks of Frankincense resin are scraped off and sent to be processed.
It’s then necessary to crush the chunks of Frankincense resin into a powder before it goes for steam distillation. The vapour from the steam distillation is put through a condenser to cool it down, and the oil floats to the surface. The remaining water is sold as a hydrosol, which also has many of the benefits of Frankincense. CO2 extraction is being increasingly used as the cost of this method of production goes down.
The therapeutic properties of Frankincense essential oil
Frankincense oil has quite a wide range of therapeutic and practical physical and lifestyle benefits.
Frankincense is a natural astringent
Frankincense essential oil can cause skin cells to contract, which will not only lift skin that is sagging but is also the catalyst for skin cell regeneration. This is most effective when used regularly and goes to explain why it has such an excellent anti-ageing reputation. It can also repair the damage from scars and improve the skin’s appearance.
This astringency combines well with Frankincense’s antimicrobial and disinfectant qualities. Use it diluted as a spray surface cleanser for a healthier and great-smelling home. Blend it with Thyme essential oil to boost this even further.
Its anti-inflammatory properties can help decrease Inflammation and Pain
This natural remedy has been used for centuries to treat various ailments, and recent scientific studies have shown that it is effective in treating inflammatory conditions like arthritis as it reduces the inflammatory response. The boswellic acids in Frankincense essential oil inhibit the production of inflammatory enzymes. The essential oil’s anti-inflammatory effects may also help individuals cope with their pain levels.
It’s very popular with massage therapists for clients with muscular and joint pain. You can make your own cream containing Frankincense that will help those coping with arthritis symptoms, especially when your joints are stiff in the mornings. Adding a few drops to a plain bubble bath can really make your day start better.
Frankincense oil can help your breathing
It relaxes the muscles between the ribs, so you can increase the capacity of your chest and breathe deeper, getting greater lung expansion. It also slows down your breathing, which also stops you hyperventilating. It’s great for use with mild asthma, but please check with your doctor.
It may help boost immune system function and prevent illness
Researchers believe that it works by reducing levels of the stress hormone cortisol. It is also known to relax the intercostal muscles between the ribs, allowing you to breathe deeper and slower, calming you down. If you’re looking for a natural way to reduce stress and improve your mood, consider Frankincense oil. Just a few drops in a diffuser can make a big difference.
It may help balance hormones
Frankincense essential oil is thought to work by stimulating the release of oxytocin, a hormone that plays a role in labour, breastfeeding, and social bonding. Frankincense oil may also help to reduce stress and anxiety, which can also help manage hormone levels.
It certainly helps to balance sebum production in your skin, helping to clear acne whilst moisturising dry and mature skin. Blend Frankincense essential oil with another essential oil like Manuka essential oil or Myrrh oil to really sort out irritated skin and troublesome acne.
It protects the skin and may prevent the signs of ageing
This is perhaps the most popular of Frankincense oil uses – essential oil infused skincare.
Frankincense essential oil effectively minimises wrinkles and fine lines when applied topically to the skin, speeding up cellular renewal. It is also preventative as it slows down the damage caused by photoaging. You can strengthen skin by combining it with Helichrysum essential oil and Pomegranate Seed carrier oil to make a super potent rejuvenating serum.
It’s suitable for all skin types, particularly dry and mature skin. Even problematic acne skin can be improved by using Frankincense essential oil. It has long been used to help heal cuts and wounds and smooth out skin imperfections. Research has shown it to be particularly effective when blended with Myrrh essential oil. You can see why these two were such useful, practical gifts brought by the Three Kings.
Frankincense can act as a sleep aid
Adding several drops to a diffuser or using it in a body lotion before bed will increase relaxation and calm you, ready for a good night’s sleep. It decreases distraction and stops your mind from wandering. Even better, it helps to reduce stress and negative emotions. Just let go and let the essential oil take the strain.
It may help to improve concentration, boost mood and promote relaxation
This may sound conflicting, having just read about how relaxing it is, but in a daytime environment, it is amazing for sharpening your mental focus without the side effects that caffeine would have.
Its uses in haircare
Are you bothered by dandruff? Add Frankincense essential oil to your shampoo or conditioner. Just like it conditions your skin, it will condition your scalp, so you no longer have flaky dandruff!
It makes an excellent natural household cleaner
Frankincense essential oil is a good antiseptic and disinfectant agent to kill harmful germs and viruses in the home by cleaning the surrounding air. It’s helpful for deodorising interior spaces and is much nicer to use than chemical household cleaners.
Using Frankincense essential oil safely
Do not use it on children under six, and keep the bottle away from inquisitive toddlers.
Do not use Frankincense essential oil if you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant.
Anyone with bleeding disorders should also not use this as it can have blood-thinning effects. If you are in any doubt, please consult your doctor or aromatherapist.
How to use Frankincense
Frankincense essential oil can be added to a diffuser or vaporiser and inhaled for its sedative, earthy fragrance that is known to enhance the mood and combat stress and anxiety. It is believed that, in spiritual practices, the scent of Frankincense strengthens both intuition and a spiritual connection. A few drops of Frankincense added to a diffuser or mixed with water to make an air freshening spray can eliminate airborne bacteria. Sprayed in a bedroom at night, it can help achieve a state of relaxation and readiness for sleep.
After dilution with an unscented carrier oil, the oil can be absorbed into the skin via topical application. In a relaxing bath, a few drops of the oil can be added to relieve stress. By blending Frankincense with other essential oils and diluting the mixture, it can be used in cosmetics to make natural homemade anti-aging facial serums. In shampoos, its tonic property is believed to help strengthen hair roots.
This anti-septic oil makes a natural homemade cleaner and disinfectant to cleanse indoor environments, eliminate harmful bacteria therein, and to deodorise any rooms in the home. When mixed with baking soda and Lemon essential oil, it creates a scrubbing substance that is useful for removing grease and for leaving the area unsoiled and aromatic. To use it with a dishcloth, it can be blended with water and Thyme essential oil to wipe down surfaces.
