What You Really Need To Know About Frankincense Essential Oil

Frankincense holds a special place in the world of natural medicine. It has been valued for hundreds of years, being part of both spiritual and healing practices for nearly every major ancient culture on the planet. Even at this time, scientists globally are investigating the myriad of health benefits of Frankincense, ranging from pain relief and soreness reduction, to immune system stimulation and cancer killing action.

The word Frankincense refers to the resin from any one of four trees or shrubs of the Boswellia genus. The most common are Boswellia carteri and Boswellia seratta. The carteri species is believed by some people to produce the highest grade raw materials; the essential oil has lovely, surprising citrus notes and is incredibly uplifting. The seratta produces an oil with a deeper, richer aroma, considered the finest of the scents by some aromatherapy professionals, and lending itself to meditative and religious practices.

The essential oils are in fact distilled from the dried drops of resin, also called "tears". Modern technology is producing some other pure essential oil than was available just a few years ago. Now the aromatherapy buyer will find an almost dizzying array of Frankincense varieties at well-stocked on-line retailers. Distillation processes are now producing what are often called "CO2's", in addition to the much more common steam distillates. The CO2 extracted oils are in fact considered by leading medical aromatherapists to have important medicinal qualities.

The very wide range of therapeutic applications is one of the most appealing features of Frankincense essential oil. First off, it's especially revered for its use in skincare, especially for mature pores and skin that may be prematurely aging due to sun exposure. Extracts of the resin have even been the subject of double-blind studies, where 1/2 of every participant's face received the preparation with the "active ingredient". The outcome was a major improvement in skin texture, and a reduction in the appearance of fine lines. To benefit from the oil this way, you could add 4 to 12 drops per ounce to a cream or lotion you are already utilizing, or to any skin care formulation you're preparing.

Resin extracts are actually finding their way into many pain relieving creams as well, usually with the labels indicating the tree type "Boswellia" on the label. Boswellic acids have potent anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects, particularly by inhibiting the pro-inflammatory enzyme 5-lipoxygenase. Adding a CO2-distilled oil in massage formulas for relief of joint pain is a wonderful idea.

Perhaps the most impressive healing ability of Frankincense lay in its now extensively studied anti-cancer activity. The resin plus its extracts have been proven to specifically target cancer cells in a number of totally different organs, causing normal cell death (which does not "normally" happen in most cancer, leaving healthy ones unaffected.

The usual "aromatherapy" uses of the essential oil to focus on its antidepressant and grounding nature. Salvatore Battaglia in "The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy" notes that it "has the power to deepen the breath -- that's, to slow down the rate of inhaling and exhaling, and improve the amplitude of breathing. This is an excellent choice for someone with an asthmatic condition associated with nervousness".

As you can see, Frankincense has a really worthy diverse line of therapeutic activity -- so much so that the addition in to your collection of oils is incredibly worth considering. Whether for skincare, pain relief, better immune system function, cancer prevention, or mood and emotional support, using this incredible medicine revered throughout history is a brilliant choice for the natural health enthusiast.

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