Deeply revered for many thousands of years, Frankincense has perhaps the greatest association with spiritual practice of any natural plant material on earth. In many great ancient cultures, including the Egyptian, Babylonian, Persian, Hebrew, Greek and Roman civilizations, it has played a role in religious and domestic life. Frankincense resin has been sought after by kings, valued as highly as gold, and offered as a gift at the birth of one of history's most revered prophets. More recently, the essential oil is gaining popularity with spiritual seekers and natural healers alike - what's so unique about the rich smelling resin and it's essential oil, and how might we use it for our own benefit? The Olibanum tree from which Frankincense is extracted, is upon first glance may seem rather unremarkable. It appears as a giant shrub, with many knurled branches topped with abundant slender leaves and occasionally, small white flowers. A native to northern Africa, it even looks like it belongs in the desert, growing in some of the world's harshest conditions. When the tree's bark is pierced with a 'mingaf' knife, a milky-white resin is exuded and collected; thought the tree is not harmed. The resin forms droplets known as tears or pearls, which harden in to the orange-brown gum known itself as Frankincense. The most medicinally efficacious essential oil is possibly the "super-critical carbon dioxide" distillation of Boswellia carteri -- this fancy new distillation method makes a more complex, thicker, and possibly more healing oil than the classic steam distillation. One of the advantages is that the plant material is not heated nearly as much as it would be if processed with steam, the result being a product closer to the original in chemical formulation. Some prominent aromatherapists who didn't particularly care for this extraction method with other plants have given it the "thumb's up" when used with Frankincense. The essential oil is noted by experts to have a very diverse set of therapeutic uses. For skin care, it is considered one of the premier oils for mature skin. The tough, desert trees somehow belie this use; the oil may be particularly helpful for skin that has been prematurely aged from overexposure to the sun. Scientific research has even "proven" the effects, by testing Frankincense extracts in skin care preparations side by side on participant's faces. The results showed a significant improvement in skin texture and the reduction of fine lines. You can easily benefit from this property yourself by adding four to twelve drops of the essential oil per fluid ounce of any cream or lotion you're already using. Or if creating a new, personal aromatherapy skin care blend, try adding the oil, alone or in combination with other essential oils, at a concentration between 1/2 and 2 percent. Resin extracts are finding their way into many pain relieving creams as well, often with the labels indicating the tree genus "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. This will blend well with any number of other essential oils with similar effects, including for example, Helichrysum, Plai, and Ginger. These oils could all be formulated together at equal concentrations (1 or 2 percent) in any carrier oil. Perhaps the most impressive therapeutic potential 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 number of different organs, causing apoptosis (normal cell death, which doesn't "normally" occur in cancer cells) to the cancerous cells, leaving healthy ones unaffected. While treatment protocols are still a ways off, it is possible to include daily doses of Frankincense as a protective measure. The essential oil is rapidly absorbed through the skin and into the bloodstream -- small doses can also reasonably be ingested with the guide of a natural health professional. The traditional "aromatherapy" uses of the essential oil focus on its antidepressant and grounding nature. Battaglia in "The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy" notes that it "has the ability to deepen the breath -- that is, to slow down the rate of breathing, and increase the amplitude of breathing...an ideal choice for someone with an asthmatic condition associated with nervousness". This is a very interesting feature considering, that some esoteric physicians believe the lifespan is governed by a total number of breaths, not heartbeats as is more commonly believed. With the incredible history Frankincense has as a natural healer, we are especially fortunate at this time to have it readily available to us in many forms. The new CO2 extracts make it especially easy to utilize for every one of is therapeutic actions. This form is a wonderful way to add a little of this highly revered medicine to your life, to the potential benefit of your mind, body and soul.
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Frankincense is one of the most exotic, and potentially profoundly therapeutic essential oils available today. Here's a look at this amazing oil, and how you too might benefit from its potent healing powers.
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