Frankincense
(Boswellia carterii)

Plant Family: Burseraceae

Plant Part Used: Resin   

Distillation Method: Steam

Places of Origin: Africa, India, Middle East

Properties: Analgesic, Anti-inflammatory, Antiseptic, Calming, Cicatrisant, Decongestant, Anti-Tumoral*

Therapeutic Uses: Skin Healing, Calming, Opens Airways, Enhance Focus and Concentration,

Frankincense is well recognized. It can be traced back to ancient civilizations in Babylonia, Assyria, and Egypt where it was used in skincare, perfumery, religious ceremonies, and embalming the dead.  

Frankincense is widely known for being one of the precious gifts given to the baby Jesus, along with gold and myrrh. It signified worship and was used by Mary and Joseph to perfume the stable. (Cottis, 2011)It is as highly prized now as it was thousands of years ago. It is considered a sacred oil and has different species, one of which is Boswellia sacra.

Frankincense oil comes from the resin of the Boswellia tree. This tree is native to the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa. It grows in height from 6 to 26 feet. When the tree is around 8 years old it will begin producing sap or resin. To obtain the sap, a slice is made in the tree and the sap is allowed to flow.  It is collected in a container and allowed to harden. This is known as Frankincense Tears.

This practice is difficult on the trees and eventually kills them. This is a threat to their future existence. The International Union for Conservation of Nature warned in 1998 that this was the case. However, the trees were not included in a protected treaty. In 2019 a paper stated that there would be a 50% reduction in the trees within the next 20 years. (Boswellia, 2023) We must protect and care for our natural resources wisely.

Frankincense Tears, or the bits of resin, are steam distilled to create the essential oil. They are also used to create incense and cosmetic products. They may be ground into powder and taken internally.  

The essential oil is used in religious ceremonies, skin-nourishing salves, and creams, to purify the air, and calm the nervous system.  The many therapeutic benefits are what make it a very valuable essential oil. Keeping this in mind, always pay attention to the company that you purchase your oil from.  Non-reputable wholesalers will decimate the area and take advantage of the impoverished growers where the Boswellia trees grow.  They will adulterate the oil to make larger profits with little to no concern for the outcome.

Some of the companies that I suggest purchasing oils from are Aromatics International, Plant Therapy, and Rocky Mountain Oils. These companies are known to have relationships with distillers local to the areas. They place value on relationships and value on the oils.  They will have GCMS testing done and available to you. This is important from both an ethical standpoint and a therapeutic standpoint.  When using essential oils, you only want oils that have not been contaminated.

Since starting my aromatic journey, my essential oil collection has never been without a bottle of Frankincense. I love it. It has a shelf life of two to three years if stored properly, and one drop goes a long way. For me, the deep aroma of Frankincense provides an instant calming effect on my nervous system. I use it in topical blends as a skin-loving tonic and I use it in my Relax and Breathe inhaler blend.  With its anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and calming properties, Frankincense is an excellent essential oil to have on hand.

Frankincense has also been tested and shown to have an anti-tumoral effect on bladder cancer cells.  In one paper published in 2009, “Frankincense oil appears to distinguish cancerous from normal bladder cells and suppress cancer cell viability.” (Frank M.B, 2009) This study uses the term Frankincense oil and not specifically essential oil. The introduction proposes that Frankincense oil contains a component called Boswellic acid which has anti-neoplastic properties. ** According to Robert Tisserand, “there has been much debate over whether Frankincense essential oil contains Boswellic Acid (BA)” which is the cancer cell killer. It is a very interesting scientific article that you can read here. (Tisserand, 2022)

But let us return to the essential oil.  Heidi Villegas, a certified aromatherapist whom I have the pleasure of learning from, has written a wonderful article about the oil’s many benefits. You can find it here at Healing Harvest Homestead. She uses it as a facial oil to help with fine lines and she uses it as an abdominal massage oil to help alleviate intestinal gas. She also uses it for healthy teeth and gum care.  This essential oil continues to amaze me in all that it can do.  I believe the ancient people knew exactly how precious the Boswellia tree was and treated it with the respect it deserved. 

I welcome you to check out one of the very first blends I ever created. As you can see, I went heavier on the Patchouli because it keeps me grounded and I love the scent. You could use fewer drops of Patchouli and increase the Frankincense or substitute another oil like Sandalwood or Vetiver. They are both base notes that will balance the florals of Lavender and Ylang Ylang. This blend can be used with any butter or added to one of your favorite unscented natural lotions. It has skin-loving oils whose scents combine perfectly to bring a sense of calm. It is lovely to wear during the day, or anytime.

Daily Skin Lover

Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin) 15 drops
Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia) 3 drops
Frankincense (Boswellia cartierii) 3 drops
Ylang Ylang  (Cananga odorata) 3 drops

24 drops in 4 ounces of carrier will make a 1% dilution which I believe is good for an all-over body lotion that you will use regularly.

If you like the blend, consider making a stock bottle to have on hand. There are approximately 100 drops in a 5 ml bottle. Multiply each amount of drops above by 4 to reach the desired amount.

**ANTINEOPLASTIC INHIBITING OR PREVENTING THE GROWTH AND SPREAD OF TUMORS OR MALIGNANT CELLS (MERRIAM-WEBSTER DICTIONARY, 2024)

References:

Boswellia. (2023, Dec 11). Retrieved from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boswellia#:~:text=In%201998%2C%20the%20International%20Union%20for

Cottis, D. (2011). Notes and Queries. Retrieved from The Guardian.co.uk: https://www.theguardian.com/notesandqueries/query/0,5753,-1623,00.html#:~:text=The%20first%2C%20referred%20to%20in,myrrh%20(death%20and%20mourning).

Frank M.B, e. a. (2009, March 18). Frankincense oil derived from Boswellia carteri induces tumor cell specific cytotoxicity. Retrieved from BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies: Frank, M.B., Yang, Q., Osban, J. et al. Frankincense oil derived from Boswellia carteri induces tumor cell specific cytotoxicity. BMC Complement Altern Med 9, 6 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6882-9-6

Merriam-webster dictionary. (2024). Retrieved from Merriam-Webster: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antineoplastic