The word frankincense actually comes from the old French term “franc encens” which means quality incense. Ever since ancient and medieval times, frankincense has been widely used and associated with various religions.

For example, like myrrh, frankincense was one of the first gifts given to Jesus by the three wise men. The ancient Egyptians also used frankincense for various purposes, ranging from perfumes and eyeliners to medicinal agents to soothe skin. The Babylonians and Assyrians would also burn frankincense in major religious ceremonies.

The frankincense essential oil is derived from the resin of the Boswellia carterii or Boswellia sacara tree, normally found in Somalia. It is actually one of the most resistant trees ever because it can grow despite little soil and in dry, desolate conditions!

The resin is steam-distilled to produce a highly fragrant and clear, silvery essential oil that has high therapeutic value and a myriad of health benefits which extends to modern use today. The oil has a very woody, musky and spicy aroma which is very relaxing and calming. Read on further to find out about its numerous health benefits and uses, and why you should definitely obtain this highly exotic, unique and enigmatic essential oil!

Health Benefits of Frankincense Essential Oil:

1. Antibacterial and Antiseptic Properties

Frankincense essential oil has numerous antimicrobial benefits and is an effective antiseptic that can eliminate germs, viruses and bacteria as well as prevent infections. As such, it is a useful first aid agent to clean and disinfect wounds, cuts and bruises. This prevents such wounds from getting tetanus and from becoming septic.

Due to its antiseptic properties, frankincense also greatly enhances and strengthens your immune system as it wards off dangerous bacteria and viruses which can potentially cause infections and adverse health effects internally.

How to Use it: To treat wounds and cuts, you can mix frankincense essential oil with a carrier oil (such as coconut or jojoba oil) and apply it onto the affected areas. Be sure to avoid the broken skin area, but you can apply it on skin that is in the process of healing. To strengthen your immune system, you can massage a few drops of diluted frankincense oil onto the balls of your feet everyday or diffuse the oil in a diffuser or vaporizer in your room, especially during the flu season.

2. Promotes Oral Health

Due to its antibacterial and antiseptic attributes, frankincense oil is an excellent agent to promote the health of your mouth and prevent various mouth-related and gum-related diseases such as bad breath, toothaches, cavities and mouth sores.

In fact, a 2011 research published in the DARU Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences showed that frankincense is an effective tool to improve inflammation brought about by gingivitis. It led to a significant decrease in inflammation of the guns.

How to Use it: You can actually mix a few drops of frankincense essential oil with baking soda to create an all-natural toothpaste. Alternatively, you can dilute frankincense essential oil with water and use the mixture as a gargle or mouthwash, being careful not to ingest the mixture.

3. Remedy for Skin Problems

Frankincense oil has astringent qualities, which means it tightens the skin further, keeping it firm and healthy. This helps to prevent the onset of ageing signs, such as the formation of wrinkles or loose and saggy skin and slows down signs of ageing as it lifts your skin. You will always experience that youthful and radiant glow on your skin!

Furthermore, the oil, being a cicatrisant, can help to reduce the appearance of acne blemishes, dark marks, eczema, stretch marks and decrease the size of large pores, which means it can promote smoother and better complexion for your skin.

So, instead of spending so much money on skincare products that might contain unsafe chemical constituents, why not try frankincense essential oil instead, as an all-natural remedy?

How to Use it: Simply mix 6 drops of oil to an ounce of carrier oil and massage gently on your skin. You can also add a drop of frankincense oil to your moisturizer. To treat acne marks and dark spots, you can mix 2-3 drops of oil with a carrier oil and apply directly to the skin.

4. Stress Reliever

Being a relaxant and sedative, frankincense essential oil is very good for your emotional and mental health because it promotes feelings of peace, relaxation, satisfaction and uplifts your emotional mood, thus warding off negative feelings of depression, sadness and anxiety. It also helps to rejuvenate and revitalize your mind and soul after an exhausting day. It decreases heart rate levels and lowers high blood pressure levels.

As such, frankincense is useful for enhancing your mental health and fostering a spiritual connection, without the negative side effects that accompany prescription drugs.

How to Use it: Diffuse a few drops of the oil to a diffuser or distiller and let the aromatic fragrance engulf you and the room. Alternatively, you can add a few drops of the oil to a hot bath to soak away the stress of the day!

5. Alleviates Respiratory Problems

The essential oil of frankincense is also an expectorant, meaning it helps to soothe coughs and get rid of mucus/phlegm deposits that are lodged within your respiratory and nasal tracts. This helps to provide relief from various respiratory conditions such as bronchitis, cough, colds and flu as it clears the passageway of these tracts, allowing air to flow through freely.

Its anti-inflammatory properties also help to soothe the airways, thus reducing the possibilities of asthma attacks and its antiseptic properties will greatly boost your immune system.

How to Use it: Simply diffuse the frankincense essential oil in an oil diffuser and inhale the vapors. Alternatively, you can add a few drops to a cloth and inhale it directly.

6. Provides Pain Relief

Frankincense essential oil also has anti-inflammatory properties, making it a useful agent to combat various muscular and joint pains such as arthritis, tendonitis or strained muscles. It helps to prevent the breakdown of cartilage tissues within the muscles, thus making it a potent natural medicine to relieve inflammation and offer pain relief arising from such conditions.

For example, a 2013 study that was published in the Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine has found that frankincense can be very effective in treating various inflammatory diseases and irritable bowel syndromes as well as asthma too!

How to Use it: To relieve yourself from pain arising from sore joints or muscles, simply add a drop of oil to steaming, hot water and soak a towel in it. Proceed to then place the towel on the various parts of the body which are painful to decrease the muscle aches. Alternatively, you can also mix the frankincense essential oil with a carrier oil and gently massage onto your aching muscles.

7. Relieves Menstrual Problems

Being an emmenagogue, frankincense essential oil also greatly helps to prevent obstructed menstruation and regulates menstrual flows by balancing hormonal levels. This thus regulates estrogen productions and reduces the chances of you getting any potential tumors or cysts as a result of obstructed menstrual flow, hence maintaining the good health of your uterus.

With its anti-inflammatory properties, this oil can also help to relieve symptoms of menstrual cramps, PMS, mood swings, fatigue and other discomforts women might experience as she gets her time of the month.

How to Use it: Dilute a few drops of frankincense essential oil with a carrier oil to create a massage blend and gently massage onto your abdominal area.

Safety Precautions:

Frankincense essential oil is generally safe to be used and there are no heavy side effects of using it, so long as you do not ingest it. However, there are still a few precautions that you should take note of.

• When applying it topically, be sure to mix it with a carrier oil (such as coconut or jojoba oil) in a 1:1 ratio as frankincense oil, in its undiluted forms, is very concentrated.

• Always perform a skin patch test first on a non-sensitive area of your skin to ensure no sensitive or allergic reactions.

• If you are pregnant or nursing, be sure to consult your doctor first before using essential oils as a form of treatment.

• If you are on blood-thinning medication or other forms of prescribed medication, be sure to consult your doctor first before using frankincense essential oil as it might produce adverse effects.

References:

Ammon HP, “Boswellic acids (components of frankincense) as the active principle in treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases”, Pubmed (2002); 152(15-16)

M. Khosravi Samani, et al., “The effect of Frankincense in the treatment of moderate plaque-induced gingivitis: a double blinded randomized clinical trial”, DARU Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences (2011); 19(4)

Rafie Hamidpour, et al., “Frankincense: From the Selection of Traditional Applications to the Novel Phytotherapy for the Prevention and Treatment of Serious Diseases”, Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine (2013); 3(4)