Plant Information
Plant History
Frankincense comes from the dried sap from the Boswellia Sacra tree. These trees are native to Yemen, Oman & the Horn of Africa. The trees are tapped, much like the maple tree, releasing a milky, white sap, which is thought to cleanse the tree and therefore, is not collected. Once the milky sap stops flowing, the hole is made larger and deeper to allow for the puresap to drain. The sap runs for a couple of weeks and is collected and dried over a 4 month period. The dried sap forms little rock crystals which are then hand sorted by quality. The highest quality of oil comes from silver and clear stones, in ancient times, this grade of frankincense was only used by the king. Now it is sold at a very high price, in fact, some perfumes that use this grade of frankincense sell for over $300. The most common type of oil used in aromatherapy or for commercial use comes from the rocks with a brown-yellowish tinge.
Oman harvests the best source of frankincense and they have exported this oil for many years. In fact, frankincenseexportation made Arabia the wealthiest place on Earth back in 1000BC to 400AD. During this time, frankincense was mainly used in burial rituals, Roman Catholic mass and birthing ceremonies. It was also used to help keep flying insects away, including mosquitos, which in turn reduced Malaria outbreaks. Medicinally, people used frankincense to relieve hypertension, nausea and indigestion. It was also used for respiratory ailments like chest coughs and helped supportwomen in post-childbirth recovery with its calming and grounding effects.
Botanical Information
Boswellia Sacra trees are part of the Burseraceae family and can grow 6-7 feet in height. The bark is thin and has a paper-like texture. This tree grows small, deep green coloured leaves along each branch and blooms small, white flowers with a yellow tint. This tree thrives during the Oman summer monsoon season as well as its hot desert temperatures throughout the remainder of the year. It’s actually the drier conditions that yield the best frankincense oil. Unfortunately, the Boswellia Sacra tree is near threatened, and is set to be in decline due to overexploitation.
Growing Information
This tree thrives best in dry, desert like conditions however, it is necessary that it receives one season of heavy rain. To grow indoors, a ceramic pot works much better than plastic. In its natural environment, this tree doesn’t grow from soil, but from marble, lime and mortar. In the clay pot, it’s best to use a soil that’s meant for succulents like cacti. This tree can be kept in indirect or full sunlight and needs adequate drainage. It thrives best when the soil is evenly moist, not too wet and not too dry. In the Winter, it needs to be indoors as it won’t survive in temperatures close to or below 0 degrees celsius.
Parts Used For Frankincense Essential Oil
In ancient times the whole tree was used. Now only the sap is used to create the essential oil and the trees are retired after 5-6 years of being tapped.
Frankincense Oil Information
Extraction Method For Frankincense Essential Oil
Like many essential oils, frankincense oil is steam distilled. The sap crystals are placed in the warming chamber of the still where they are heated and melted by steam. The vapour then travels through the apparatus to the cooling chamber where the contents liquify. After the contents are turned back into a liquid state, the liquid then travels through the tubing and into a separation chamber where the oil can be easily siphoned off the water.
Active Ingredients Found in Frankincense Essential Oil
The active ingredients found in frankincense are a-pinene, actanol, linslool, octyl acetate, bornyl acetate, incensole and incensyl acetate.
Frankincense Oil Benefits & Applications
Respiratory Support
Frankincense can to help alleviate respiratory symptoms from congestion by decreasing phlegm build up. It can also decrease inflammation in the nasal passage to allow for easier breathing. To use Frankincense for respiratory ailments:
- Diffuse 10 drops of frankincense essential oil.
- Mix 4 drops frankincense essential oil with 10ml jojoba oil and rub on chest.
- Mix 3 drops frankincense essential oil with 10ml almond oil in a roller ball to inhale when feeling congested.
Calming Effects
This oil has calming and grounding properties without leaving you feeling drowsy. Frankincense also helps reduce feelings of anxiety, stress and depression. Below is a list of ways to incorporate Frankincense’s natural calming properties into your daily regimen.
- Mix 3 drops frankincense oil in a bowl of warm water. Soak a compress in mixture. Remove compress once saturated and move around on chest, stomach and forehead, while breathing deeply to create a relaxing atmosphere. Don’t leave hot compress in one are for more than 10 seconds.
- Diffuse 10 drops frankincense oil during meditation to help with grounding effects.
- In a bowl of warm water, add 3 drops frankincense oil and soak face cloth in mixture. Wring it out and place over forehead. Lay back for at least 10 minutes, inhaling slowly and deeply.
- Mix 12 drops frankincense oil with 30ml almond oil and apply over body.
Antiseptic Support
Frankincense is a great natural antiseptic to help fight off infection. To use as a topical antiseptic, simply:
- Mix 4 drops frankincense oil with 10ml tamanu oil and apply directly to burn or wound.
- Soak gauze in 10ml apricot kernel oil and 4 drops frankincense oil and apply to wound.
- Mix 20 drops frankincense oil with 60ml almond oil in a spray bottle and spray on cuts or burns when needed.
Skin Support
Frankincense is an astringent, which helps protect cells. It’s great to use on acne, enlarged pores and help keep the skins integrity in tact to prevent signs of aging.
- Mix 2 drops frankincense oil with your daily face wash or moisturizer and apply avoiding eye area.
- Add 4 drops frankincense oil to your body wash container to help support overall skin health.
- Mix 4 drops frankincense oil with 10ml rosehip oil and apply to face after you’ve applied your regular skin moisturizer. This will help lock in skins moisture. Ensure to avoid eye area.
Shopping For Quality Frankincense
Frankincense oil should be steam distilled in order to yield a clean oil that's potent. Look to make sure the essential oil you're purchasing is not only steam distilled, but organic when possible and offers a potent aroma. Shop here for quality Frankincense.
