It was one of the three gifts delivered to baby Jesus, so what is it that makes this such a sacred and special gift? 

Frankincense is a resin and essential oil that comes from the extract of a tree from the dry mountainous region of India, Africa and the Middle East. Used in Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine for health and spiritual benefits. It’s scientific name is Boswellia and there are . 

What are the benefits of Frankincense?

It depends on the quality of the essential oil, so if it is cheap then do not expect much of a benefit. As with many ancient medicines, more high quality and larger groups are required to confirm the efficacy of any proclaimed benefits. 

1. Reduce inflammation for osteoarthritis and possibly rheumatoid arthritis. However, when I spoke to a Naturopath about this claim, she advised that it is not as an essential oil that the studies have shown this. The resin is the key substance in these studies.(1, 2, 3)
2. May improve gut function thanks to the reduction in inflammation mentioned above. Of course, it is also possible to seek a low-inflammatory diet to receive this benefit but small studies suggest that it could help sufferers of IBS. (4, 5). Again, this is not with essential oil and larger groups are needed for the trials. 
3. Helps to purify the atmosphere for better breath which is partly why it is used in religious traditions, to cleanse the heavy energies brought into the communal space. This benefit may aid with asthma, but the studies have been based on small groups receiving injections or inhalations of the compound to date (6, 7, 10) 
4. Emotional stability by calming the nervous system, ease negative thoughts (9) and open the mind to expansive thoughts so great to use in prayer and receive those Divine messages easily. The studies are very low to establish efficacy of this but from experience, you may notice the effects of this potent aroma on yourself to know if you agree with this benefit.(8)

There are several more proclaimed anticancer properties, maintaining oral health, skin healing and quality, and improving memory. 

How to use Frankincense

In making candles, I discovered that the essential oil has a flash point of 40 celsius, which means that it evaporates at a lower temperature than more waxes melt. This makes it tricky to use in a candle as any scent is not captured in the wax. 

I love to add frankincense resin into my candles. It adds a texture, colour and difference to how the aroma evaporates into the air as the candle burns. Occasionally, I will make a candle at this very low temperature with my coconut-soy wax that can manage melting at the lower temperature but this will be a very intentional ritual candle.

Most of the studies have used extracts of the plant in tablets, infusion or inhalers depending on the application. It is unlikely that you will be ingesting a resin, and I would not recommend that you do. 

To enjoy the aroma the best route is to burn the resin itself, as they do in churches. Unusually it is done on foil, but make sure that you won’t burn anything! If you prefer the essential oils, then pop it into some water in a diffuser or essential oil burner and shift the energy of your room.  

What Frankincense aligns well with

When used in conjunction with Myrrh the synergistic properties enhance the benefits of both resins (8). It is an oil that pairs well with many other scents. 

For an essential oil aroma blend, I love the essential oil of Frankincense with Tasmanian lavender and Australian Sandalwood. It creates a soothing, sacred feel that softens all the energies of the body into a blissful state. I have curated a candle ‘Har’ for those who wish for this special sacred experience, which I love to share in sensual and self-loving rituals like a massage. 

Another sacred blend is curated to remain present in the flow of life, and allow Spirit to move through you. This candle, ‘Sif’,  uses the frankincense resin with cinnamon, geranium bourbon, Tasmanian Lavender and Honey Myrtle. A sweet candle to use when coming into a sacred practice of breathwork and lift the experience into that open receiving state of transformation. 

Get your Unique frankincense blend

If you are interested in one of my bespoke blends that aligns to your intention and energetic shifts, then let me know. A candle brings ritual, but a bottle blend may be more appropriate to your set up. So get in touch and find out! 

DISCOVER  YOUR BLEND

DISCLAIMER: 

This information is for general interest only and is not to be taken as advice: therapeutic, medical or otherwise. We do not make a claim of any therapeutic advice offered in the writing. Please seek professional advice for appropriate use of essential oils for your situation. 

Research used for blog:

1. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0394632015622215
2. https://bmccomplementmedtherapies.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12906-017-2062-z 
3. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ptr.6338 
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5721494/ 
5. https://www.minervamedica.it/en/journals/gastroenterology/article.php?cod=R08Y2019N01A0030
6. http://www.funpecrp.com.br/gmr/year2015/vol14-3/pdf/gmr5564.pdf
7. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Francesco-Di-Pierro/publication/287279226_Functional_study_on_Boswellia_phytosome_as_complementary_intervention_in_asthmatic_patients/links/5e75e58f4585157b9a4e0e42/Functional-study-on-Boswellia-phytosome-as-complementary-intervention-in-asthmatic-patients.pdf
8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6749531/
9. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080520110415.htm 
10. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/frankincense