Oh the mysterious Frankincense -- it really holds a special status in the world of natural medicine. What other plant extract has been valued as highly as gold, sought after by kings, and been one of the world's most recognized birthday presents? There must be something to it too, as university's around the world have found it important enough to spend significant sums investigating its medicinal effects. What follows is a summary of the great benefits of this nearly magical oil, and how you can make use of it.
"Frankincense" refers to the dried resin of the Olibanum tree or shrub. A great many varieties of the essential oil are available, from 3 different species and two distillation technologies. The resin is typically collected in the wild -- no need to worry about finding a "certified organic source, as wild-crafting produces the purest, cleanest of all natural medicines. The most popular botanical variety is Boswellia carteri, the species also with the greatest amount of scientific research backing its medicinal use. The aroma is lovely, with fruity and woody notes combining to make a very uplifting scent. Boswellia seratta from India produces an oil with a deep and mysterious scent, treasured for its great aroma-therapeutic value.
The most medicinally efficacious essential oil is possibly the "super-critical carbon dioxide" distillation of Boswellia carteri -- this fancy new distillation method makes a more complex, thicker, and possibly more healing oil than the classic steam distillation. One of the advantages is that the plant material is not heated nearly as much as it would be if processed with steam, the result being a product closer to the original in chemical formulation. Some prominent aromatherapists who didn't particularly care for this extraction method with other plants have given it the "thumb's up" when used with Frankincense.
The essential oil is noted by experts to have a very diverse set of therapeutic uses. For skin care, it is considered one of the premier oils for mature skin. The tough, desert trees somehow belie this use; the oil may be particularly helpful for skin that has been prematurely aged from overexposure to the sun. Scientific research has even "proven" the effects, by testing Frankincense extracts in skin care preparations side by side on participant's faces. The results showed a significant improvement in skin texture and the reduction of fine lines. You can easily benefit from this property yourself by adding four to twelve drops of the essential oil per fluid ounce of any cream or lotion you're already using. Or if creating a new, personal aromatherapy skin care blend, try adding the oil, alone or in combination with other essential oils, at a concentration between 1/2 and 2 percent.
Boswellic-acid creams are becoming popular in over-the-counter topical pain relieving formulas. These are simple extracts of Frankincense resin, which are available to you in the form of the CO2 distillations. The extracts are highly anti-inflammatory and analgesic, and can be excellent ingredients in massage formulas for any sort of joint pain. The oil will blend in a synergistic manner with other pain relieving and anti-inflammatory essential oils such as Helichrysum, Ginger, Black Pepper and Marjoram. Simply mixing all these oils together, using a 1 to 2 percent concentration of each in any carrier oil, will make a fine arthritis care recipe.
Perhaps the most impressive therapeutic potential of Frankincense lay in its now extensively researched anti-cancer activity. The resin and its extracts have been shown to specifically target cancer cells in a number of different organs, causing apoptosis (normal cell death, which doesn't "normally" occur in cancer cells) to the cancerous cells, leaving healthy ones unaffected. While treatment protocols are still a ways off, it is possible to include daily doses of Frankincense as a protective measure. The essential oil is rapidly absorbed through the skin and into the bloodstream -- small doses can also reasonably be ingested with the guide of a natural health professional.
Not to be overlooked, the aroma-therapy aspect of the essential oil is just as impressive as the rest of its uses. The aroma of the carteri species has uplifting citrus and woody notes, and is considered an excellent antidepressant. That of the seratta is grounding and calming, lending itself to meditative use and deep introspection. Leading therapists have discussed the ability of the aroma to slow the breath, actually deepening it so that more air transpires, and fewer breaths per minute are taken. This has interesting implications, noting that some physicians believe the human lifespan can be counted in the number of breaths taken, rather than the number of heartbeats. Either way, the stress-relieving effect of the oil is almost certain to lead one to better health!
It's plain to see Frankincense is a very worthwhile aromatic in the therapist's toolkit. With anti-aging, anticancer, antidepressant and anti-stress activity, it's likely that the essential oil can easily find a way into your overall wellness program. You'll likely be happier and healthier for it, and will have another valuable natural medicine to enjoy and share.
"Frankincense" refers to the dried resin of the Olibanum tree or shrub. A great many varieties of the essential oil are available, from 3 different species and two distillation technologies. The resin is typically collected in the wild -- no need to worry about finding a "certified organic source, as wild-crafting produces the purest, cleanest of all natural medicines. The most popular botanical variety is Boswellia carteri, the species also with the greatest amount of scientific research backing its medicinal use. The aroma is lovely, with fruity and woody notes combining to make a very uplifting scent. Boswellia seratta from India produces an oil with a deep and mysterious scent, treasured for its great aroma-therapeutic value.
The most medicinally efficacious essential oil is possibly the "super-critical carbon dioxide" distillation of Boswellia carteri -- this fancy new distillation method makes a more complex, thicker, and possibly more healing oil than the classic steam distillation. One of the advantages is that the plant material is not heated nearly as much as it would be if processed with steam, the result being a product closer to the original in chemical formulation. Some prominent aromatherapists who didn't particularly care for this extraction method with other plants have given it the "thumb's up" when used with Frankincense.
The essential oil is noted by experts to have a very diverse set of therapeutic uses. For skin care, it is considered one of the premier oils for mature skin. The tough, desert trees somehow belie this use; the oil may be particularly helpful for skin that has been prematurely aged from overexposure to the sun. Scientific research has even "proven" the effects, by testing Frankincense extracts in skin care preparations side by side on participant's faces. The results showed a significant improvement in skin texture and the reduction of fine lines. You can easily benefit from this property yourself by adding four to twelve drops of the essential oil per fluid ounce of any cream or lotion you're already using. Or if creating a new, personal aromatherapy skin care blend, try adding the oil, alone or in combination with other essential oils, at a concentration between 1/2 and 2 percent.
Boswellic-acid creams are becoming popular in over-the-counter topical pain relieving formulas. These are simple extracts of Frankincense resin, which are available to you in the form of the CO2 distillations. The extracts are highly anti-inflammatory and analgesic, and can be excellent ingredients in massage formulas for any sort of joint pain. The oil will blend in a synergistic manner with other pain relieving and anti-inflammatory essential oils such as Helichrysum, Ginger, Black Pepper and Marjoram. Simply mixing all these oils together, using a 1 to 2 percent concentration of each in any carrier oil, will make a fine arthritis care recipe.
Perhaps the most impressive therapeutic potential of Frankincense lay in its now extensively researched anti-cancer activity. The resin and its extracts have been shown to specifically target cancer cells in a number of different organs, causing apoptosis (normal cell death, which doesn't "normally" occur in cancer cells) to the cancerous cells, leaving healthy ones unaffected. While treatment protocols are still a ways off, it is possible to include daily doses of Frankincense as a protective measure. The essential oil is rapidly absorbed through the skin and into the bloodstream -- small doses can also reasonably be ingested with the guide of a natural health professional.
Not to be overlooked, the aroma-therapy aspect of the essential oil is just as impressive as the rest of its uses. The aroma of the carteri species has uplifting citrus and woody notes, and is considered an excellent antidepressant. That of the seratta is grounding and calming, lending itself to meditative use and deep introspection. Leading therapists have discussed the ability of the aroma to slow the breath, actually deepening it so that more air transpires, and fewer breaths per minute are taken. This has interesting implications, noting that some physicians believe the human lifespan can be counted in the number of breaths taken, rather than the number of heartbeats. Either way, the stress-relieving effect of the oil is almost certain to lead one to better health!
It's plain to see Frankincense is a very worthwhile aromatic in the therapist's toolkit. With anti-aging, anticancer, antidepressant and anti-stress activity, it's likely that the essential oil can easily find a way into your overall wellness program. You'll likely be happier and healthier for it, and will have another valuable natural medicine to enjoy and share.
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For more on the therapeutic value of aromatherapy oil, and one of many important oils individually such as organic Frankincense essential oil, visit The Ananda Apothecary online.
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