Frankincense holds a special place in the world of natural medicine. It has been prized for hundreds and hundreds of years, being part of both spiritual and healing practices for almost every major ancient culture on the planet. Even at this time, scientists around the globe are investigating the myriad of health benefits of Frankincense, ranging from pain relief and swelling reduction, to immune system stimulation and cancer killing action.
The word Frankincense refers to the resin from any one of 4 trees or shrubs of the Boswellia genus. The most common are Boswellia carteri and Boswellia seratta. The carteri species is believed by some 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 best of the scents by some aromatherapy professionals, and lending itself to meditative and religious practices.
The essential oils are actually distilled from the dried drops of resin, also called "tears". Modern technology is producing another pure essential oil than was available only some years ago. Now the aromatherapy buyer will discover an almost dizzying array of Frankincense varieties at well-stocked on-line merchants. Distillation processes are now producing what are referred to as "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 selection of therapeutic applications is one of the most appealing features of Frankincense essential oil. First off, it's extremely revered for its use in skincare, specifically for mature pores and skin that may be prematurely aging due to sunlight exposure. Extracts of the resin have even been the subject of double-blind studies, where 1/2 of each participant's face received the preparation with the "active ingredient". The end result was a major improvement in skin texture, and a reduction in the appearance of fine lines. To benefit from the oil in this way, you could add 4 to 12 drops per ounce to a cream or lotion you are already using, or to any skin care formulation you might be preparing.
Resin extracts are actually finding their way into most pain relieving creams as well, usually with the labels indicating the tree genus "Boswellia" on the label. Boswellic acids have potent anti-inflammatory and painkilling 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 superb idea.
Perhaps the most impressive healing potential of Frankincense lay in its now extensively studied anti-cancer activity. The resin plus its extracts have been proven to specifically goal cancer cells in a number of totally different organs, causing normal cell death (which doesn't "normally" happen in most cancer, leaving healthy ones unaffected.
The usual "aromatherapy" uses of the essential oil to concentrate 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 is, 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 related to nervousness".
As you can see, Frankincense has a really worthy diverse line of therapeutic activity -- so much so that the addition to your collection of oils is extremely worth considering. Whether for skincare, pain relief, better immune system function, cancer prevention, or mood and emotional support, making use of this incredible medicine revered throughout history is a brilliant choice for the natural health enthusiast.
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