Frankincense Essential Oil
Plant Love Healer
Frankincense
has played a pretty big role in my life this past year, and this is
one among several reasons that I chose to do my paper on this amazing
oil. What I have found, from several hours, months and years of
research, is that frankincense is among one of the top oils
recommended for so many different health and emotional issues, and
have heard one on one testimonials about it doing things as amazing
as making a cancerous tumor disappear from a woman’s breast, and
how Frankincense (most commonly known by Latin names: Boswellia
Serrata Carteri, Sacra) is recommended for everything from tissue
regeneration to autoimmune disorders. It is also commonly recommended
for: inflammation, Chron's disease & colitis, asthma, arthritis,
menstrual abnormalities, among others. The essential oil of
Frankincense can be applied externally or consumed internally to
treat these conditions and more.
The history of Frankincense is
honestly one of the most interesting and vast of the oils imaginable.
There is so much to tell that it could take a book to cover all of
the biblical and ancient mentions and uses of the plant and then
throughout history up until modern times. According to biblical
writings, Frankincense was given to Jesus as a gift when he was born.
As far back as 3000 B.C, it was of such immense value, more valuable
than gold, and was commonly referred to as “liquid gold”. Because
of it’s history as a component of religious text and practice, it
is found in blends for “anointing”. It is also considered holy in
several areas of the Middle East. It has been used throughout time in
the practice of Ayurvedic medicine, naturally because the trees from
which the gum resin from which the oils are made are located in
India, as well as Oman, Somalia, Yemen and other parts of North
Africa.
The
cultural history of Frankincense is prolific This resin has been used
and documented from biblical times and is a part of stories from the
past all the way through modern times. It's played a role in
medicine, culture and society throughout history. It’s been a
signature hippie scent from 60’s culture, in my experience, many
people can identify the scent in a heartbeat. It is grounding, it is
seductive, but yet there is so much more to it. The amazing thing
about oils in general, is how many different roles they play for
various people, and cultures, and generations throughout society and
throughout time and space.
And
then there's the science: Among the main medically relevant elements
of Frankincense are the compounds called sesquiterpenes, which have
stimulating effects on the limbic system, the emotional center of the
brain, and vital glands. It is for this reason that it is known to be
calming, centering, and why one sees it so often combined with Myrrh,
in blends for relaxation and meditation. Sesquiterpenes are among the
most beneficial compounds that can be found in essential oils.
Because they are high in hydrogen content, which alkalizes the body
by delivering oxygen to the body at a cellular level, they can help
to erase or de-program miswritten codes in DNA (damaged DNA) and
create an alkalize (oxidized) environment that cancer cells cannot
survive in. Some of the oldest medical texts that have been recovered
reveal the use of Frankincense to treat various medical conditions,
as it is especially powerful when it comes to healing at a cellular
level and regenerating tissue.
At
their most basic, many people really just don’t know that that
these oils are good for anything more than how they smell. So let’s
see what people and companies that produce Frankincense have to say
about the scent, for starters. Some of the companies with the widest
distribution of essential oils are: Aura Cacia, NOW, Wyndmere, Young
Living, DoTerra & Simplers. I'll just notate what it is that
these companies say on either their bottles or their websites about
how it smells:
Aura
Cacia: Sweet, Balsamic, Middle Base Note
NOW:
Deep, Fresh, Subtle hints of Citrus & Camphor
Wyndmere:
Earthy, Spicy
Young
Living: Sweet, Warm, Balsamic
DoTerra:
Rich, aromatic
Simplers:
Rich, Sweet, Complex
Some
suggestions from these highly marketed brands regarding blending
consider good oils to blend with Frankincense are:
(Simplers)
Geranium, Neroli, Pine, Spruce, Vetiver, Petitgrain, Myrrh, Bergamot,
Cinnamon
(NOW
Foods) Balsam Fir Needle, Myrrh, Orange, Sandalwood
(Wyndmere)
Geranium, Lavender, Neroli, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Citruses, Spices.
The
suggestions are not only just based on how these smell good together,
but also often as to the mental/emotional effects of the oils as a
blend. For example, as Frankincense is often considered grounding, so
are oils derived from wood & trees such as Pine, Spruce, Balsam
Fir; The calming, meditative oils that blend well with Frankincense
would be Vetiver, Myrrh, Sandalwood, Lavender, Geranium; The
anti-depressant, mood lifting aspects of Frankincense would lend
itself well to blending with citruses, including Neroli, Petitgrain,
Bergamot & Orange.
Then
the blends that isolate the physical: A sample antibiotic blend with
might include Myrrh, Cinnamon, Spices, and the woody Pine, Spruce &
Balsam Fir. For Immune Boosting, Citruses & Spices.
Anti-Spasmodic: Geranium, Lavender. Just to name a few.
But
then there is the phytochemical benefits. So people like essential
oils sometimes just because they like the smell. Other people look a
little more into therapeutic benefits and think about how it makes
them feel emotionally. And then there is the actual physical reality
of how this plant/herb/oil affects your body if applied topically,
inhaled and ingested.
Medicines
in general have their classifications based on what they are used
for. Frankincense is classified as an: analgesic,
anti-depressant,
anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, astringent, diuretic and
sedative. So here are my ideas of what it can be blended with for
each of these uses. Analgesic: camphor or wintergreen.
Anti-depressant: Orange, lime, rose, vanilla, lemongrass.
Anti-fungal: Tea tree, Pine, Rosemary. Anti-inflammatory: chamomile,
sandalwood, lavender, helichrysum. Antiseptic: Tea Tree, Rosemary,
Pine. Astringent: Tea Tree, Rose. Diuretic: Juniper, lemongrass.
Sedative: Lavender, Chamomile, Geranium.
Even
though I had loved essential oils since as far back as I could
remember, I wasn't too sure about taking them internally, or as a
substitute for other manifestations of herbal medicine intended
specifically for internal use, with the exception of a drop of tea
tree that I had been doing for quite some time. Then we had a guest
speaker come to visit our herbal medicine class in Santa Fe. She
spoke of being unafraid to ingest these oils, to which I excitedly
remarked that I had been ingesting Tea Tree for years but kept it
kind of low profile since the labels on most essential oil brands I
had ever been exposed to warned: “not for internal use”. But
yeah, I did it anyway. And I understood why it worked. It is a
powerful antibacterial, I used it incredibly sparingly, just a tiny
drop in water, and then flushed it down with another 8 ounce (at
least) glass or bottle of water. I knew that it was said that it
could be dangerous to one’s liver, as they were supposedly hard for
the liver to process, but the benefits, in my mind, outweighed the
risks, as the power that it had to heal my body in a matter of
minutes was miraculous, and i had struggled so much for so long with
recurrent bladder infections. This was the main use for it. But then
also, for other infections, colds, flu, respiratory complaints. And
that is just internal.
There
was a point where in class, one our teachers asked, if there is one
essential oil that you could pick, that you would only have to use
for the rest of your life, as if you are on a desert island, what
would it be? My answer was tea tree. It has so many uses, honestly!
So why aren’t I writing about tea tree?
The
focus of my life this past year led me to Frankincense, and I can’t
say that I’m the most happy about it, since it’s pretty darn
expensive. But you have to pay what you have to pay to make sure that
your body is going to be okay, and so then I delved into the world of
Frankincense, something that I never really loved the smell of. No,
not really at all. And sometimes, when I am wearing it, either that,
or Patchouli or Myrrh (which are combined often in blends with
Frankincense) people will make a remark, and then say something like
“oh my god, I love frankincense so much” and I would be a bit
terrified, thinking that they are hoping that we would have some
amazing bond, when the actuality is that I am not wearing it for the
smell, no, not at all. And I didn’t follow the Grateful Dead for 15
years before I got a real job and entered “mainstream society”.
Frankincense has this cultural implication, this sub-culture
indication, the suggestion that you are a “hippie”, which in all
honestly I can say for what i believe to be the definition of hippie,
in some ways I may be, ideologically, but in some ways I am
definitely so completely not. I don’t smoke weed, never have, don’t
follow bands around the country, I do wear bras and shave my armpits,
and I am not a vegetarian (which absolutely shocks people regularly,
which makes me feel kind of baffled… the reason people giving is
that i just “seem like” a vegetarian) That’s OK. I like things
that are practical, I’m not given to magical thinking. I don’t
know what people mean when they talk about faeries, there is a part
of me that is much like a believer in science. If science can’t
prove it, then it isn’t real. But not 100%. If something makes you
feel good, then that’s important, as long as you aren’t hurting
anybody.
History:
In August of 2013 I was put through a cervical & uterine biopsy
that resulted in intense and constant abdominal swelling, cramping,
severe pain, nausea, constant exhaustion (from the constant throbbing
pain in my belly), inability to have sex (since the pain after was
intolerable), constant infections, dark urine, inability to walk, do
things and enjoy life the way I had up until the moment this surgeon
stuck this cold metal instrument into my reproductive system and
snipped pieces out of it. There was something that went wrong in the
procedure, the doctor or the nurse would not return my repeated phone
calls, during which I left messages complaining of severe (abnormal)
pain and cramping, and demanding to know what it was that went wrong
in that room that day. I was in Chicago, and I had a flight back to
Santa Fe, and I had no answers, and my belly was swollen, I was
scared, in pain, and didn’t know what to do, or what was wrong.
I
did a lot of research. Well, let me tell you that first, I went to a
lot of doctors. Ob/Gyn’s in Santa Fe. One after the other they
looked at me with blank eyes and said they had no idea what was wrong
with me, what could possibly be wrong with me and said sorry, and
sent me on my way. I had an ultrasound done, that showed that I had 2
fibroids in my uterus that hadn’t been there just 6 months prior. I
started to think that the fibroids were a result of the trauma and
resulting scar tissue. They took 2 samples of my tissue, there were
ALL OF A SUDDEN 2 fibroids. So here goes the fibroid research.
Frankincense, Frankincense, and…. Frankincense. Women are talking
about taking it internally… in a capsule, one after another after
another.
I
didn’t know much about Frankincense. It was time to learn. The
first thing that I learned: Frankincense is not cheap. First, you
have to find a brand that says it’s okay for internal consumption,
and those brands are NOT CHEAP. I started to think that maybe if it’s
organic, that would make it okay for internal consumption since it
would be more pure, as long as it wasn’t cut with anything,
extracted with any chemicals, or mixed with any carrier oils
(obviously).
One
day my live-in boyfriend’s sister came to visit. She told me about
a friend of hers who had some tests done that showed there was a
tumor in her breast. The doctors wanted to operate but she said no,
she was determined to find another way. She told me that, after much
research, she decided to embark upon a regimen of taking frankincense
and lemon essential oil, both internally and rubbed it on her breast
several times a day for several months, and that the next time she
had the scans done (not sure if it was MRI or ultrasound or what kind
of test, but there were films taken), the tumor was gone. Between
this story (and his sister was a big proponent of natural medicine,
and had taken several programs over the course of her lifetime to
certify her in various aspects of herbal and naturopathic healing),
and the big FRANKINCENSE presence on the internet regarding this
oil’s ability to heal tissue, and shrink unwanted growths/abnormal
tissue, I decided it was time to jump on the bandwagon. Anything is
worth a try.
I’m
going to be honest. I don’t really have any special affection for
the smell of frankincense. That’s not why i like it. It does tend
to mellow ones mood somewhat. Anyway, I started to think that it was
doing something good. I ordered 5 ml from a company called Organic
Infusions, who’s oils I came to love and respect and have
absolutely no fear of taking internally. The most annoying thing
about Frankincense is that it’s expensive, and that sucks. I joined
DoTerra, almost by accident, since I got a link from someone on
Instagram and they said that if I join I get a discount and promised
other things that I was too late to take advantage of, such as
getting $100 of free oils by ordering $100 of oils. That was last
month. Then there was the promise that I get a free bottle of
something… I actually think it was Frankincense with my first
order. That didn’t happen either. I just didn’t have the
discipline to read all of the literature to figure out how all of
that worked, but I did end up ordering some oils from them, and I
liked them. No complaints. I took the lavender internally and I
really liked it. But their Frankincense is nearly $100. OH. MY. GOD.
I’ve never bought a $100 bottle of essential oil. I just think I
would be constantly terrified of losing it and then be a nervous
wreck all of the time just for owning one. Plus, my habit of wanting
more variety and less focus on just one thing prevented me from
taking that leap. $100 for one bottle of essential oil? Ugh. I spent
a lot of money on helichrysum, and rose, but still not anything close
to $100… so I didn’t go for DoTerra.
But I did get the 5 ml of
Organic Infusions Frankincense, and I really couldn’t get enough of
it. I used it internally with gelatin caps, I rubbed it on my lower
abdomen, and I really felt it’s power. In the end, I started using
it regularly on a tampon, which I soaked with Frankincense, Sage and
Lavender Oil, and inserted after sex and/or before bed. The horrible
stinging and cramping I had felt before after sex calmed down a lot.
It became a ritual. When I ran out of the essential oil .. I also had
a 15 ml bottle that was mixed with jojoba that I used externally.. I
started taking the Boswellia capsules that I had left over from a
supplement shopping spree that I had gone on at Natural Grocers in my
quest to find a solution to the fibroid problem. I’m not one to
waste anything, if I can prevent it. But in the end, if I can take an
essential oil internally, I would rather do so, than take herbs in
capsule form, or in any form other than the oil.. it’s just easier,
less messy and kind of tastes good, usually too. So, now back to what
rocks about Frankincense:
I
did a paper, a final paper that we all had to do for my herbal
medicine program on acid/alkaline balance in the body, how it affects
our health, and how to alkalize (which is what most people need for
balance) with herbs. Among the large amount of information and facts
pertaining to this biological reality is the fact that a body that is
too acidic is going to have problems with inflammation. And
inflammation is the underlying cause for countless forms of disease
and bodily pain and dysfunction. One of the best anti-inflammatories,
Frankincense. This is one of the most important functions as I see it
of Frankincense as a way of reversing the disease process of the
body.
Reduce
inflammation = reduce pain, swelling, all kinds of diseases and
disorders. That along with being anti-microbial, Frankincense is a
perfect supplement to be taken on a regular basis.
I
made friends with an Ayurvedic practitioner in Santa Fe while I was
there, one of the many wonderful, amazing friends that I made while I
was there, who shared amazing, important nuggets of knowledge based
on their studies and practices. What he told me was that one of the
most important things to do, on a regular, daily basis in the
practice of Ayurveda, is to give yourself a daily body massage with
oils. I read a book on Ayurveda that confirmed this, and the
importance of self-care when it comes to just massaging yourself: and
he recommended a combination of sesame, almond and safflower oils
with a drop or two of eucalyptus. But he added that it doesn’t have
to be eucalyptus oil that is added, that others can be good as well.
And to heat the oil so that it is warm, add the essential oil after
you remove it from the heat (of course) and then apply to your body
while still warm. I am not the most disciplined person in the world,
which is sad because the only person who suffers is me, it’s this
kind of ADD that I have, that I get so easily caught up in whatever
is going on in the moment, I’m not very good at distracting myself
from that, and doing the thing that I need to do as a habit. A good
habit. But the times I did it, I felt amazing, and I started to add
frankincense and lavender and sage. Then I made a bottle, and carried
it around with me everywhere.
Applying
this to my body every night, even if I was traveling (such as to
Arizona, for example), even without the ability to heat it, made a
huge difference in the pain and swelling in my belly, and I started
to feel that there was hope for me. I found the combination. It was
going to be okay.
Despite
the fact that I am not entirely back to the level of health and
pain-free status that I was before the biopsy, I am much better, and
the pain is so much less, often unnoticeable, and my life is more
manageable. I will always thank Frankincense, and keep it on the
forefront of my medical repertoire for as long as I can foresee.
Aside
from it’s appeal for emotional, mental and spiritual reasons, this
oil is incredibly appealing for it’s scientifically proven
biological benefits. There are so many reasons to love Frankincense,
I will always consider it one of the best oils to use in the case of
so many medical circumstances, plus I’ve learned to love it for
it’s yummy, musky, hippie like smell. In the end, if you erase this
association, it is just warming to the body, and grounding to the
mind and soul. Thanks Frankincense, whether in my bottle of NOW mixed
with jojoba, my delicious bottle of Organic Infusions or $100 bottle
from some other high end companies… which I have yet to purchase,
but one must never say never.
