Frankincense Essential Oil: One Of Aromatherapy's Strongest Natural Healers

 

Frankincense holds a special place in the world of natural medicine. It has been treasured for thousands of years, being a part of both spiritual and healing practices for nearly every major ancient culture on the world. Even today, scientists all over the world are investigating the myriad of health benefits of Frankincense, ranging from pain relief and inflammation reduction, to immune system stimulation and cancer killing activity.

The term Frankincense refers to the resin from any one of four trees or shrubs of the Boswellia genus. The most typical are Boswellia carteri and Boswellia seratta. The carteri species is considered by some people to produce the highest grade raw material; the essential oil has lovely, unexpected citrus notes and is very uplifting. The seratta produces an oil with a deeper, richer aroma, considered the finest of the scents by some aromatherapy specialists, and lending itself to meditative and spiritual practices.

The essential oils are really distilled from the dried drops of resin, also called "tears". Modern technology is producing a different pure essential oil than was available only a few years ago. Now the aromatherapy shopper will find an almost dizzying array of Frankincense kinds at well-stocked online stores. Distillation processes are now producing what are generally known as "CO2's", in addition to the more common steam distillates. The CO2 extracted oils are 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 of all, it is really revered for its use in skin care, particularly for mature skin that may be prematurely aging due to sun exposure. Extracts of the resin have even been the subject of double-blind research, where one half of every participant's face received the preparation with the "active ingredient". The result was a significant improvement in skin texture, as well as a reduction in the appearance of fine lines. To benefit from the oil this way, you could add four to twelve drops per ounce to a cream or lotion you're already utilizing, or to any skin care formula you are preparing.

Resin extracts are finding their way into many pain relieving creams too, often with the labels indicating the tree type "Boswellia" on the label. Boswellic acids have potent anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, specifically by inhibiting the pro-inflammatory enzyme 5-lipoxygenase. Including a CO2-distilled oil in massage formulas for relief of joint pain is an excellent idea.

Perhaps the most amazing therapeutic capability 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 lot of different organs, causing normal cell death (which does not "normally" occur in cancer, leaving healthy ones unaffected.

The traditional "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 actually "has the ability to deepen the breath -- that's, to slow down the rate of breathing, and increase the amplitude of breathing. This is a perfect choice for someone with an asthmatic condition associated with nervousness".

As you can see, Frankincense has an exceptionally worthy diverse collection of therapeutic activity -- so much so that the addition in to your collection of oils is very worth considering. Whether for skin care, pain relief, improved immune system function, cancer prevention, or mood and emotional support, using this incredible medicine revered all through history is a smart choice for the natural health enthusiast.

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